Tower of Babel
by Acidwing
Summary: AU. A chance encounter forces the Shadowlord to question everything he knows. (Or: an epic journey to defeat the greatest villain of all – miscommunication)
1. Gilded Cage

_A/N: This fic has spoilers for the entire game, particularly Route B, so do be careful. I'm also using a lot of supplemental material from the fan-translated_ Grimoire Nier _, though it's not strictly necessary to read it because I'll try to explain things in-story._

 _Also, this fic is based on the first game ONLY, since I have neither played nor watched the playthroughs of_ Nier: Automata _(not that it has much connection to the first game from what I understand)._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Gilded Cage**

Nier was slowly losing his mind.

This utter helplessness, the inability to do anything but watch his daughter slowly wither… He hated it, hated himself for being so useless, and yet, he could do nothing but wait.

He paced back and forth, counting his steps in a vain attempt to drown out his unending fear and worry. It didn't help. Nothing would, until his daughter was back in his arms, safe and sound.

Nier stopped and pressed his back to the wall, sliding down. He was starting to lose hope…

The sudden sound of a door opening made Nier jump to his feet. His wings snapped open almost on their own accord, the unsettling presence of android overseers never failing to activate his fight-or-flight instinct.

"What do you want?" he growled warily.

"It is time for another extraction," one of the androids (they never gave him their names, not that he particularly cared) said.

Already? Nier draped his wings over himself like a cloak. Just how much maso did they need? They had been harvesting the demonic element from his body for all the centuries he spent in stasis, and it _still_ wasn't enough?!

The black and gold layer of his shadow skin rippled faster, reacting to his emotions. He was sick and tired of being their lab rat, but for as long as Yonah's life was in their hands, he could do nothing but comply. Their technology kept his daughter from fully relapsing, so Nier had to let them bleed him dry.

And as long as Yonah was safe, it didn't matter what happened to him.

* * *

Nothing changed.

It gave him hope at first to see Yonah safely in stasis, saved from going berserk like so many Gestalts, but now that hope warped into fear. It had been well over a thousand years, thirteen centuries to be exact, but nothing had changed. She was still frozen on the verge of relapsing and no one did anything to help her.

Every day he talked to the androids, but all he got was empty platitudes and demands for more maso. Did they _ever_ intend to help Yonah? Nier didn't know and it terrified him.

Nier looked at the stasis pod where Yonah was sleeping. She looked nothing like her old self, covered as she was in a blurry layer of shadow skin. She looked so fragile... Nier wanted to hug her and never let go. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and keep her safe from the world… But he couldn't.

He was weak and he trusted the wrong people. Why did he ever do that?! Why did he so quickly give their lives over to the kind of people who saw nothing wrong with human experimentation on unsuspecting subjects?

And now his mistake doomed them both to this unchanging hell.

* * *

Accepting that it was his own unthinking recklessness that led to this was a bitter pill to swallow, but Nier could no longer afford to make mistakes. He had to be careful, had to pretend all was fine lest the overseers noticed. He had to grit his teeth and comply with their demands until it was time to cut the puppet strings keeping him in a stranglehold.

But first he needed information and the power to use it.

Nier didn't know what happened to the black book, but even without it he could still use the powers it granted him so long ago. He spent his days learning the limits of his body and magic, sometimes training with a sword he found in one of the abandoned parts of the facility. He grew stronger, refining his abilities, and it was a welcome distraction from his fearful, paranoid thoughts.

Thankfully, the androids seemed to accept boredom as an explanation for his training, none the wiser to his plans.

Good.

* * *

Nier dipped a tip of his sword into a small puddle of his own blood. It sank in without any resistance as if the liquid was a portal to another world. He pulled it back and sliced his hand open again, staining the stone floor with more nearly black blood.

He concentrated and pushed his sword into the blood again, watching with grim satisfaction as it exited through the other puddle.

This first sign of progress to his plans made him tremble with anticipation.

* * *

His blood was an amplifier to his magic, which made perfect sense, since magic was fueled by maso and his blood had high concentration of it, but he should be able to teleport through magic alone. It took Nier a while to figure it out, but soon enough he was able to make short-ranged jumps. It wasn't enough to escape, but it was perfect for exploring the facility and gathering more information.

Once filled with amoral scientists and their helpless test subjects, the gigantic building was now empty of anything but the ancient machinery. It was so strange to see what he knew to be cutting-edge technology rusted through and abandoned, driving home how much time had passed.

Nier wasn't much of a hacker and the computers were probably password-protected anyway, if they still worked, so he searched for hard copies instead, digging through the piles of paper falling apart in his hands.

He wanted to see reports, scientific documents or anything else that held information about relapsing and how to counter it.

The search was slow but Nier couldn't afford to be caught. He always put the documents back and only ever entered the damaged, non-powered parts of the facility. He made sure to teleport back whenever time for another extraction came. He kept the pretense for his android jailers and carried on his work.

His daughter's life depended on it.

* * *

Nier read through the reports, trying to make sense of them.

The only known way of keeping Gestalts from relapsing was by returning them to their bodies, since even stable maso could only postpone but not prevent it. He knew that.

Gestalts were to be kept in stasis until the White Chlorination Syndrome and unstable maso causing it were fully eliminated. He knew that too.

So why was Yonah still frozen when the report in his hands stated that all Gestalts had been awakened?!

…He was right not to trust the androids.

* * *

Outwardly nothing had changed. Nier kept talking to the androids, kept complying to their demands, but inwardly he was seething.

His blood was needed to stabilize Gestaltization and power up the stasis pods but if everyone was awakened and returned to their bodies, it should be no longer needed. So why was he still there?!

…Oh, but it made sense, didn't it? Stable maso, the demonic element, was invaluable for weapons research and it could only be harvested from his body, so was it any wonder that the overseers refused to help Yonah, keeping him prisoner? After all, they were created by the same people who spread the copies of the black book, driving hundreds of innocent people into insanity. So why should they care about one little girl?

…Were those soulless _things_ even capable of caring rather than obeying the lines of their programming?!

He had to get out.

He had to get out and find a way to save Yonah because no one else was going to help her.

* * *

 _A/N: And here we encounter such lovely staples of this game as misinterpretation, not having enough information, and jumping to conclusions. Don't worry, things will get better, I promise!_

 _I know that Gestalts usually bleed red, but watch the fight with the Jack of Hearts, particularly when the Shadowlord appears. The blood he used as a portal was black, though I suppose it could be because of Noir – he did transform into some weird black spiky thing trying to get Weiss._


	2. Web of Lies

**Chapter 2: Web of Lies**

Unfortunately, escaping the facility was easier said than done. For one, Nier couldn't abandon Yonah, so he had to find a way to transport her stasis pod somehow. For another, the facility seemed to be under some sort of a dimensional lock. And finally, he had no idea what the outside world was like anymore.

Nier stayed quiet and compliant, choking down his rage. Subterfuge was the only way to survive.

He studied the dimensional barrier that should be possible to bypass with teleportation as well as the schematics and structure of the stasis pod (entirely self-contained with a maso-powered generator to keep it running, small enough to teleport with).

He scored the facility for any scrap of information about the outside world, going so far as to ask the androids, pretending it was idle curiosity (the only information they offered was a warning about UV radiation being deadly to Gestalts, which he knew already).

The results of his search were… discouraging to say the least. The entire planet was tilted on its axis, forcing half of it into eternal night and freezing temperatures and another half into the boiling heat of eternal day. It was only possible to survive close to the equator, but it was always light there, and while Nier, as the only stable Gestalt in existence, might be able to survive for a while, the direct sunlight would kill even him.

Another worrying problem was the severe lack of information about Replicants. The oldest reports assured that Project Replicant was progressing as normal and yet… the information flow cut off a few centuries back, leaving only a few mentions about programming glitches.

All this meant that while Nier could escape with Yonah, he had no idea what they would be running into. It was a hard decision to make, but eventually he decided to move slowly and gather more information.

He could risk his own life but never his daughter's.

* * *

At least one of his questions was answered. Stable maso did seem to be still necessary, even if there was a large stockpile of it, gathered over the centuries, since for some reason the awakened Gestalts weren't returned to their bodies.

Unfortunately, it only raised more questions. If White Chlorination Syndrome was no longer a threat, then why didn't humanity return? What possible reason could there be for them to still exist as unstable Gestalts, always running the risk of relapsing?

Nier kept digging through the reports, but the information was far too scarce, almost suspiciously so. Everything seemed to come down to Replicants…

Was the process of returning to their bodies just as faulty as Gestaltization? Did the constant destruction and recreation of Replicants over the centuries damage them somehow? Nier didn't know and the crumbling paperwork offered no answer.

* * *

Nier stared incredulously at the ancient document in his hands, reading it aloud, "Among the 417 volunteers, provided with the copy of Grimoire Noir, 153 relapsed in the first 10 minutes of contact. The remaining subjects-"

The paper crumpled in his hands. " _Volunteers?!_ " he snarled. "We didn't volunteer for anything! We only wanted to survive! They promised food and shelter and instead they turned everyone into monsters!"

His hands shaking in rage, Nier straightened the paper, reading through the rest of the document. It was just as inaccurate, completely omitting the fact he was pretty much blackmailed into becoming their lab rat to save Yonah.

Nier suddenly felt cold. If this document was so biased, then so were the rest of them. He couldn't trust a single word he read. He sat down, holding his head in his hands. The documents were lying, the androids were lying… He couldn't trust anyone and anything in this place.

He had to get out.

* * *

Nier paced back and forth, his wings flaring out. He had to stay calm and think rationally.

The documents he read were biased and inaccurate, but they could still provide an overall idea of what happened. He couldn't afford to leap blindly, so he needed to stay cautious and keep an open mind.

He paused and rubbed his temples. This… wouldn't be easy. Nier was well aware that he tended to hit first and ask questions later but… for his daughter's sake that would have to change.

Nier nodded to himself, mentally reviewing the meager scraps of information he managed to gather.

One: White Chlorination Syndrome was no longer an issue.

Two: most Gestalts were awakened but hadn't returned to their bodies yet.

Three: the apparent reason for this was a sudden and unexplained emergence of sapience in Replicants.

…Nier didn't buy it for a second. Even if Replicants did develop sentience, he doubted it would stop their reintegration with Gestalts. The kind of people who developed Gestaltization didn't care who they hurt in the process, so Nier highly doubted they would suddenly decide to risk their life and sanity for the sake of their creations. No, there had to be another explanation that he would have to find for himself.

And, perhaps, see those supposedly sapient Replicants with his own eyes.

* * *

It was time.

Nier felt strangely calm as the androids approached him, saying they needed another dose of maso.

Well, they weren't going to get their grubby hands on it anymore.

Nier gathered his magic and teleported away, right into the place his careful snooping pointed to being their office. He swiped all the documents from their shelves, throwing them into the subspace pocket where his sword resided, and teleported again.

This time he appeared deeper underground where his blood was stored and processed, the demonic element extracted and purified. He grabbed several containers, hearing the alarms start to blare, and teleported once more, not having the time to search for purified maso (pity, it was a powerful substance).

Nier reappeared next to Yonah's stasis pod. He quickly opened one of the containers and poured the blood all over the pod, feeling it crackle with power. Nier gathered and shaped his magic, preparing to breach the dimensional barrier, when the overseers caught up to him, rising from the glowing portals in the floor.

"Please, stop," one of them said. "You are making a mistake. You are needed here. A lot of people depend on you for survival."

Nier growled, trying to work faster. His magic was weaving around the dimensional lock, the amplification his blood provided making up for his lack of knowledge and skill.

"You are safe here," the other said. "It is dangerous outside. The Replicants are at war with us. They are merciless and they will kill you both."

Almost there…! His magic stretched past the dimensional barrier, tracing a path for his teleportation.

"…We don't want to fight you," the first android said, pointing her staff at him. "But we cannot let you go."

Nier only smiled grimly and activated the spell, vanishing from their sight.


	3. First Steps into the Light

**Chapter 3: First Steps into the Light**

Nier gasped and swayed on his feet, the teleportation rougher than he expected. He looked wildly around and flinched back from the sunlight falling dangerously close to his feet. Thankfully, Yonah's stasis pod had the necessary filters against UV light.

Nier shook his head, trying to regain his equilibrium and stubbornly ignoring the amazing sight of the sky and the faraway mountains.

They weren't free yet.

He could feel that the blood covering the stasis pod was rendered completely inert, the demonic element inside it burning up during the teleportation. He opened the other containers, pouring the rest of the blood out, and prepared to teleport again before the androids caught up to him.

His magic flared out, instinctively seeking out a safe place, and he followed its path, teleporting away.

He reappeared in the silent darkness, breathing in the stale air of a cave. It was hard to accurately judge the distance during teleportation, but with so much blood to serve as an amplifier and without a dimensional lock to bypass, they should be far enough to hide from the overseers.

At least for a time.

* * *

Gestalts required neither food nor water, needing only magic to function, so Nier could afford to stay in hiding, only teleporting out of the otherwise unremarkable cave to explore his surroundings. It was slow going, the sunlight a constant hazard even if he was more resilient than an average Gestalt.

Thankfully, the sky was overcast now, allowing Nier a degree of safety.

He was still careful, of course, keeping to the shadows whenever possible, ready to teleport away at a moment's notice, but there were other dangers aside from sunlight.

Nier couldn't help but flinch, immediately materializing his sword at the sight of a gigantic shambling monster made of several relapsed Gestalts fused into one. The thing had many other Gestalts skittering at its feet, no doubt relapsed as well.

He wasn't looking forward to this fight.

Nier tensed and stretched his wings, ready to use his ability to fly to his full advantage.

The monster shambled closer…

Nier raised his sword, dark magic gathering around the blade…

…And the fused Gestalt walked away, ignoring him completely.

What.

* * *

Nier still twitched slightly, more than a little uncomfortable around relapsed Gestalts, but they didn't seem to care, either ignoring him completely or poking around with nothing but animalistic curiously. A far cry from the berserker attacks he remembered.

Was this the effect of stable maso? A sign of a proper Gestaltization rather than the corruption of the black book? Nier didn't know but he certainly wasn't going to complain.

Now if he could only find someone capable of _talking_ …

* * *

Ah, _there_ it was.

Nier stared at the documents he stole from the overseers, satisfaction from solving the mystery warring with cold dread from what it revealed.

All attempts at reuniting Gestalts with their Replicants ended in failure. The Gestalts always relapsed, some faster than the others, and went on a rampage, killing everyone and everything in their path, often fusing together into powerful, destructive monsters.

The document didn't go into much detail regarding the possible causes of this, but the leading theory was that it was caused by some sort of inherent flaw in the Replicants. The same flaw that allowed them to achieve sapience.

Thus unification was strictly forbidden and the overseers were tasked with finding another way to save humanity.

* * *

The Replicants were _fascinating_.

Nier hid in the shadows, watching from above as the Replicants in the village walked around, going on with their day. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought they were human.

The documents said that Replicants displayed almost the same personalities as the Gestalts they were based on and he was inclined to agree.

…So why did they also say that coexistence was impossible?

* * *

Stealing directly from the overseers was the right choice. He had hit a goldmine with those documents, even if what he found made his skin crawl.

Project Noir.

If what he read wasn't more lies, then there was a way to safely unite Gestalts with their Replicants.

By completely suppressing their minds.

That was what the problem was: Replicants were supposed to be nothing but empty vessels for Gestalts to inhabit, but sapience they developed threw a wrench into the plan. They fought back the possession and the strain inevitably drove the Gestalts to relapsing.

And if their Gestalts relapsed, the Replicants died soon without any hope of recreation.

So was this it? Either Replicants were sacrificed… or everyone died?

Wasn't there any other way?!

* * *

Nier shifted uncomfortably, his back and wings still stinging from the sunlight. It was his own fault for being so engrossed in his observations that he stopped paying attention to the weather.

The cave he was hiding in was blessedly dark, and while he could teleport 'home', the distance would leave him exhausted, considering he had already wasted some magic both to get away from the sun and to regenerate his injuries. So waiting it was.

At least the company was good.

"You look weird!" one of the Gestalts stuck there with him said, their small shape and squeaky voice showing they were still a child.

"Don't be so rude, Kintarō!" another Gestalt, this one an adult, chastised. "Apologize immediately!"

"It's fine," Nier replied, his own voice sounding odd to his ears after weeks of silence. "I do look strange."

Unlike regular Gestalts, he was far more solid and the shadow skin only partially covered his body, rippling in upward waves. Not to mention the wings he certainly enjoyed using.

The Gestalt introduced herself as Yaegiri and the other two as her son Kintarō and younger sister Yama. Nier's social skills were close to nonexistent, so his attempts at small talk quickly transformed into grilling the woman for information. Thankfully, she didn't appear to mind, seemingly happy to just talk to someone.

Her words didn't paint a pretty picture. The small family was on the run, having to move constantly even in the wilderness in order to avoid Replicants, without knowing a moment of peace. Yaegiri talked of other Gestalts trying to make a stand, but she wasn't a fighter and she didn't want her family to get hurt, so she ran.

Nier could sympathize. This was hardly different from his own past, hiding in the ruined buildings and running away from the monsters until there was nowhere to go and nothing to do but fight back.

Still… "Why are the Replicants attacking you?" Nier asked.

"Because they are a bunch of goddamn monsters," Yama scoffed. "Why else?"

"Yama, please…" her sister sighed.

"Well, it's true! They come and they fight and they-" her voice trembled, "And they kill everyone for no reason! We- we never did anything wrong, they just hate us and want us dead! I hate them!"

Yama breathed heavily, her hands curled into fists. Then she flinched, seeing Kintarō curl miserably into his mother's side, and reached out to gently pat his head, "…Sorry, Kintarō. Your aunt just really likes yelling. Everything will be fine, I promise."

* * *

No matter who he talked to, it was always the same story. Replicants always tried to kill Gestalts, attacking them and their families without mercy, and any attempts at negotiation were met with hostility.

So if it really came down to one side over the other… Hadn't Nier already killed others for survival?

* * *

 _A/N: A lot of names in this game are based on different stories, depending on location. For example, the characters in the Junk Heap have names based on_ Pinocchio _, the Aerie on_ Peter Pan _, and Seafront on_ The Little Mermaid _. So here's me keeping to the tradition._

 _I based these names on a Japanese folk-tale_ Kintarō _('Golden Boy'). Kintarō is the name of a child hero with superhuman strength. In one version of the story, he was raised by his mother, Princess Yaegiri, in another version, he was raised by a mountain witch Yama-uba._

 _And yes, I did spend several hours choosing the names for OCs that have like three lines each and won't appear again, why do you ask?_


	4. Fateful Meeting

**Chapter 4: Fateful Meeting**

Yonah trembled in fear as a huge Shade lumbered towards her. How could she be so stupid? Her dad always told her how dangerous it was outside the gates of their village, so why didn't she _listen_?

She just wanted to find a Lunar Tear and get better, so that her dad didn't have to work so much, but now she was going to die…

The Shade raised its arm and Yonah closed her eyes.

The Shade snarled and she heard a wet splatter then a dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground.

Yonah dared to open her eyes and whimpered, seeing the ground drenched in red. What-

Another Shade growled and Yonah quickly turned around only to see it fall down in a shower of blood. She backed away, stumbling and falling down. What was happening?

Shade after Shade was brought down by strange crimson spears until none remained sans one. Yonah watched the Shade descend from the sky, landing before her and folding its shimmering wings.

The Shade stepped towards her and Yonah curled into a ball, sobbing in fear. It was going to kill her too!

She waited for the inevitable, flinching back when she felt the Shade touch her shoulder. It growled at her, making Yonah cry louder. She was going to die and she would never see her dad again and never tell him how much she loved him…

The Shade growled again, but softer now, almost like a purring cat, and Yonah felt its hand stroke her hair. Hesitantly, she raised her head and looked at the Shade.

It looked so strange: almost human, only with grey skin and glowing yellow eyes, its moth-like wings shimmering and translucent. Yonah could see its lips moving as if it was talking but she could hear nothing but that purring growl.

"Are- are you going to kill me?" Yonah whispered.

The Shade shook its head.

"N-no? Really?"

The Shade shook its head again, its growl changing cadence and sounding almost like words.

"Oh…" Yonah swayed suddenly, feeling dizzy and weak, and toppled forwards. The Shade caught her, draping its wings over her. Why was it so nice? Shades were just evil monsters, weren't they?

"I don't understand…" Yonah mumbled, falling into darkness.

* * *

Yonah woke up feeling warm and safe. She snuggled closer to her dad and pulled the blanket tighter over her. Did her dad bring her a new blanket? It felt really strange for some reason.

She opened her eyes and watched the shimmering patterns form and fade on the fabric as her blanket moved, wrapping closer around her.

Yonah froze, waking up fully. That- that wasn't-

She heard a quiet growl and felt a hand stroke her back. Reluctantly she looked up, meeting the yellow gaze of the Shade. It smiled at her, once again looking as if it was trying to speak.

Yonah gulped, fingers curling tighter around the Shade's wing, "…Y-you are still here?"

It nodded and gestured around with one hand. Yonah blinked and looked around too. Oh. They were still outside…

"Are you… protecting me?"

The Shade nodded again and Yonah gasped, "Really?! Thank you!"

She could barely believe it! A nice Shade!

It tapped her shoulder and pointed down, starting to scratch something onto the ground, _"Can you understand this?"_

Yonah felt her eyes widen. "Yes! I can!" A nice Shade that could _write_? This had to be a dream! "Can you talk too?"

The Shade growled again, strange disjointed sounds coming out of its mouth, and Yonah gasped with sudden realization, "Is this how you talk?"

The Shade tilted its head to the side and wrote on the ground again, _"You really can't understand my words?"_

Yonah shook her head, "No… Should I?"

The Shade frowned, scratching the ground like it didn't know what to write next.

Feeling a little braver, Yonah poked lightly at its translucent wing. The Shade smiled at her again and spread its wings, looking even more like a giant moth. It was more than enough invitation for Yonah to explore more, chasing the strange orange patterns with her fingertips.

A wave of weakness made her sway and double over coughing. Yonah shivered and felt the Shade wrap its wings around her again.

 _"Are you ill?"_ it scratched on the ground.

"A little," Yonah whispered. She didn't feel all that bad, just a little dizzy.

 _"You should go home and rest,"_ the Shade wrote. _"Do you live in that village?"_

Yonah nodded, "Uh-huh. I live there with my dad…" She frowned, feeling a wave of guilt, "He is going to really worry about me."

 _"Then let's go. I will carry you to the gates."_

The Shade stood up, holding her close, and stretched its wings, rising into the sky. Yonah gasped in delight and wrapped her arms around its neck. She could see the whole world from up there!

The Shade hovered still for a moment then flapped its wings, sending them hurtling forward and angling their flight closer to the mountain cliffs. Yonah laughed, feeling the wind rush through her hair, and realized suddenly that she wasn't afraid at all.

The flight was over far too soon, the gates of her village visible just around the corner. The Shade landed and carefully released her.

Yonah smiled and threw her arms around its waist in a hug, "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The Shade hugged her back, saying something in its growling language.

"Yonah!"

She jumped at the unexpected shout and turned around, "…Dad?"

It was her father, looking really angry and worried.

"Get away from my daughter, you monster!" he yelled, charging forward with a raised sword.

Yonah stumbled towards him, "Dad, wait!"

She felt a rush of wind and quickly turned around, catching the sight of the Shade flying away.

"Yonah…" her father dropped his weapon and rushed towards her, wrapping her in a hug. "Are you alright? Did that thing hurt you?"

"I'm fine, dad, I promise. And I'm really sorry for leaving…" Yonah said, hugging him back. "But that Shade didn't hurt me. It actually helped me!"

"Helped…? What are you talking about?" her father shook his head. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter. Let's just go home."


	5. Despair and Determination

**Chapter 5: Despair and Determination**

The Replicants couldn't understand him.

 _The Replicants couldn't understand him!_

Nier screamed, folding his wings and falling through the air only to catch himself at the last moment, inches above the ground.

All this talk about Replicants fighting Gestalts for no reason and refusing any attempt at negotiation, when they couldn't even understand them!

When relapsed Gestalts attacked them on sight!

His wings ached with the strain of his erratic flight but Nier was too far gone to care. He remembered all too well his own desperate fight against relapsed Gestalts, back when he was still human, even though he knew full well they were just innocent people driven mad by the black book.

Was it any wonder that Replicants thought they were nothing but monsters?

Nier dove down instinctively, feeling the sunlight pierce through the clouds, burning his skin. He made a sharp turn and dove into a dark crevice in the side of a cliff, huddling in the darkness, his thoughts stinging worse than his wounds.

* * *

Nier felt calmer now, no longer teetering on the edge, but a strange exhaustion settled in his bones instead, weighing him down. He felt trapped at the bottom of a dark river, his thoughts moving slowly, like weeds swaying in the currents.

And to think, it was just idle curiosity that led to this.

He had tried to track down his own Replicant, vague feelings and faint echoes of magic drawing him closer. He found Yonah instead.

She looked like his daughter, she talked like his daughter, and when she was in danger, Nier moved without thinking, his mind consumed by memories of old. He killed relapsed Gestalts without mercy, but he couldn't find it within himself to regret it. They were victims of the circumstances, he knew that… But there was no way to help them. The people they used to be no longer existed, and Nier couldn't let them kill his daughter…

Except she wasn't _his_ daughter, was she? She had her own father, _his Replicant_ , who saw him as nothing but a monster to slay…

Nier dug his fingers into his hair, tugging painfully on the black strands. He thought of his Yonah, sleeping in stasis, always on the edge of insanity. Sleeping Beauty, one step away from becoming the Beast.

Except this mockery of a fairy-tale had no good endings. There was no way to save Yonah other than to let her possess her Replicant.

For his daughter to live, another child had to die.

What kind of a choice was that?!

Nier screamed in rage, hitting the rough stone wall with his bare fist. His grey skin split open, his dark, almost black blood dripping down.

Nier stared dully at the dark liquid. His magic had already reacted to the injury, using the demonic element in his blood to stich his skin closed.

Funny. All this power at his fingertips, and he was still as helpless as ever…

…No.

No, he refused to give up! His daughter depended on him and he'd be damned if he ever betrayed her like this!

Nier stood up, tightening his fists and spreading his wings, their edges grazing the walls. He was still alive, so what fucking excuse did he have for giving up without a fight? There had to be a way to help Yonah, there had to be a way to stop this pointless war between Gestalts and Replicants, and he was going to find it or die trying!

* * *

Nier leapt from shadow to shadow, still wary of sunlight. He felt both exhausted and energized, feeling like he hadn't slept in millennia but too full of jittery energy to rest.

A sudden movement at the edge of his vision made him freeze and press closer to the rocky cliff. The waves of his shadow skin rippled slower, helping him hide, and Nier craned his neck, stretching his senses in search for the disturbance.

He noticed a young Replicant, a teen half-way into adulthood. What was he doing outside alone?

The boy looked warily around, tense and ready to run at a moment's notice.

Nier stilled completely, not wanting to scare him.

The Replicant relaxed slightly, picking some plants growing around. As he turned away, Nier moved again, ready to continue on his way.

He froze again, snapping to attention and arching his wings, when some strange sixth sense warned him about a relapsed Gestalt being close.

It appeared seemingly out of thin air, its loud roar piercing the quiet. The gigantic fused monster approached the boy, its heavy footsteps making the ground tremble. The Replicant screamed in terror, scrambling away, but the relapsed monster was faster. It charged at the boy, hitting him straight on and throwing him into the air.

The heavy thud and sickening crack of his body hitting the ground made Nier see red.

He bolted forward and slashed the monster's back with his sword. It roared in pain, turning around and trying to hit him, but even as tired as he was, Nier easily evaded its attacks. He ducked and weaved in the air, calling magic to him. Crimson blasts of energy peppered the fused Gestalt, each of them weak on its own but dangerous in numbers. It stumbled back and snarled, trying to hit him back.

Nier flew higher, completely out of the monster's reach and swung his sword in a circle, gathering his power for a stronger attack. His magic followed the movement, long spinning spears materializing around him in a half-circle. A single gesture sent them hurtling towards the fused Gestalt, piercing through its body. The monster stumbled and Nier seized the opportunity, flying closer and severing its head from its neck.

The giant body swayed slightly and fell, the impact making the ground shudder, and started to quickly dissolve into nothingness.

Nier sighed in relief and landed, putting his sword back into the subspace pocket.

Now, where was the boy? Nier hoped he was alright.


	6. Ancient Relic

**Chapter 6: Ancient Relic**

"Dad! I'm not making this up!"

"Yonah…" Nier sighed tiredly. After the initial apologies and promises to never leave their home by herself again, the only thing his daughter talked about was that Shade.

She claimed it saved her from other Shades, and while Nier would never call his daughter a liar, it was still hard (downright impossible) to believe. And _writing_? Shades were just mindless beasts, they certainly couldn't communicate! Everyone knew that!

…It was probably just a fever dream or a hallucination, born out of fear and illness.

(What if it wasn't?)

* * *

Nier talked to the villagers and scoured the surrounding lands but so far he had found no trace of that strange winged Shade. There was only one place he hadn't checked yet.

The Lost Shrine.

Nier frowned slightly, staring at the bridge leading to the ancient building. Was he, perhaps, getting too obsessed with this wild goose chase?

A few of the guards he talked to mentioned seeing that Shade or one very similar to it a few times, but it never attacked, preferring to flee when noticed. And that was far from normal behavior.

He needed to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

The Lost Shrine was blessedly filled with sunlight, keeping away the Shades (if there was indeed any in the building). Nier reached the roof without any trouble, only needing to watch his steps on the crumbling staircase.

Nier opened the massive doors at the top of the building and froze at the sight of two massive statues flanking some strange glowing object. The air hummed with power, setting him on edge.

What was going on there?

Nier inched closer, glancing warily at the statues. They didn't look like robots but he still got the strange impression of them being _guards_ rather than design elements.

The statues didn't move, even when he got within their reach, and Nier slowly relaxed. He studied the translucent sphere and the object floating inside. Was it… a book? Who could have put it there and why? Was it the work of some ancient mages?

And, most importantly, should he tamper with it?

Nier tried to think logically. This place wasn't called Lost Shrine for nothing. It had been abandoned for as long as he remembered. And it wasn't as if there was a person still alive who knew ancient magic, so it had probably been there for a very long time. But why? What was it? Treasure? Danger? Or, perhaps, both?

Nier frowned. Was it really a good idea to tamper with things he knew nothing about? It had to have been put there for a reason…

At the same time, he was there to find answers and this was another mystery he couldn't just leave alone. Besides, he knew of some people who would pay a lot of money for a magical object like this. Maybe even enough that he could afford to stay home for a while rather than constantly run around, searching for jobs.

He was so busy trying to scrape a living, he barely had the time to see his daughter anymore…

Nier sighed and dragged a hand down his face. This thing had probably been there for centuries. Nothing was going to happen if he left it there for a day or two more while he asked Popola what it might be.

Decision made, Nier turned away, walking towards the door. A loud grinding noise made him flinch and turn around, staring in horror at the giant statues. The statues stared back, their eyes glowing and wisps of darkness floating around them.

They were Shades!

The statues raised their weapons in unison. Nier dodged quickly, but the heavy impact with the floor sent him stumbling nonetheless.

…There was no way he was going to win against those things in a straight fight.

His gaze was once again drawn to the red sphere, his mind working quickly. Whether they were protecting this thing or powered by it, it might just give him a chance to survive this.

He ran around the much slower Shades and hit the sphere with his sword without any effect. The statues roared and charged at him, forcing Nier to dodge them again. He had to be doing something right then.

He waited for another opportunity to attack the sphere, relying on his speed and agility to avoid the heavy strikes. One of the Shades got its weapon stuck in the floor, and those few seconds were all he needed.

Nier hit the sphere, again and again, until the explosion of light sent the Shades reeling. Finally, the barrier dissolved and the book inside it fell on the floor. Then it twitched and floated up, swaying in the air.

Nier immediately grabbed the book in both hands, hoping it would release another blast.

"By the heavens! I have never been treated in such manner!" the book struggled in his grip. "Unhand me immediately!"

Nier didn't have the time to argue with a talking book. Instead he turned it around, pointing its front cover at the Shades, "Can you take them down?"

"I am a text of the darkest, most arcane type, yet you dare doubt my power? I could swat back these creatures like mere flies!" The book ripped itself from his hands and laughed maniacally, "I am Grimoire Weiss! My very name brings kingdoms to their knees! Bow your head before me and accept my power or go alone and fail!"

Nier glared at the arrogant thing and bowed quickly, not taking his eyes off the Shades that seemed to be recovering from the effect of the magical blast, "Happy? Now deal with these things already!"

The book laughed again, "With a single word, I, Grimoire Weiss, can shatter the very universe itself!"

"Then get to it already, Weiss!"

"Gah! You will refer to me by my full and proper name! Now prepare to…" the talkative book stumbled. "Prepare to… Er…" It went silent for a moment, "…Oh dear."

 _"Oh dear?!"_

* * *

Nier tried to catch his breath, looking at the stone rubble that completely blocked off the entrance to the Lost Shrine. He barely managed to escape in time.

"Hmph! It just figures that a barbarian like you would destroy an entire building," the magical book griped.

"Only the door," Nier protested. "…And the roof."

The magic that Weiss gave him access to was surprisingly powerful if hard to aim. He managed to hold his own against the Shades for a while, but a few stray blasts caused the roof to cave in, interrupting the fight.

Nier hoped that the falling rocks and the sunlight managed to kill those monsters, but in the long run it didn't really matter.

It wasn't like he was ever going to return there.

* * *

 _A/N: Famous last words, Nier. Also, what the hell are those weapons that Hansel and Gretel use? Axes? Pikes? They look so freaking weird._


	7. Lord and Savior

**Chapter 7: Lord and Savior**

Nier raced through the automated facility, destroying some of the attacking robots and flying above others. He had no idea what it was used for, but it had plenty of technology to scavenge. Granted, he didn't know whether he would be able to repair Yonah's stasis pod if something happened to it, but having some spare parts around would certainly give him some peace of mind.

So far his search brought him nothing but metal junk, hardly useful to anyone who wasn't a blacksmith. He also seemed to have gotten turned around in this confusing mess of doors and corridors. Nier wasn't particularly worried about getting lost (his teleportation was more than capable of reaching the surface) but it was still an annoying waste of time.

He sighed and continued on, opening the next door.

"What the-" Nier spread his wings and dodged the Gestalt that leapt out. What the hell?!

They turned towards him and sagged, dropping their weapon, "Y-you are not a Replicant."

"Obviously," Nier replied dryly. "Any reason you were attacking me?" he prompted, keeping his wings half-spread and sword at the ready, just in case.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" the Gestalt cried. "I thought you were one of those monsters! Please, forgive me!"

"No harm done," Nier sighed, putting his sword back into the subspace pocket and relaxing his stance. "My name is Nier."

"I'm Angiolina," the Gestalt replied. "Nice to meet you."

It seemed like a feminine name, so the Gestalt was probably a woman, not that Nier particularly cared.

"What are you doing here, Angiolina?" he asked. This wasn't the most inviting of places.

"…Hiding," she replied miserably. "We are safer here than aboveground."

"We?" Nier asked.

Angiolina nodded, "My son, Kalil, is here too. Oh, I should tell him that everything is fine!"

She quickly opened the door, returning the same way she came. Nier shrugged inwardly and followed the woman, keeping an eye out for more robots.

"Kalil?" she called out. "It's alright, you can come out now."

A small Gestalt poked his head out of the pile of assorted metal junk and quickly clambered down. The boy quickly hugged his mother and then stared at Nier, "You look weird."

"I've been told that before," Nier replied, barely hiding a smile.

* * *

After poking at Nier until his curiosity was satisfied, Kalil ran off to the other side of the vast room to play with makeshift toys, leaving the adults to talk.

"You are the first friendly face he had seen in a while," Angiolina said, watching her son sadly. "A boy his age needs friends, but we have been alone for so long…"

"Why?" Nier asked. "There are many Gestalt communities that would be happy to accept you. Why stay here? Besides, aren't all those robots dangerous?"

"Not as dangerous as the Replicants. We lived with others for a time but-" she let out a shuddering breath, her voice dropping to a broken whisper. "They killed everybody. We barely survived… Why did they do this?" Angiolina asked quietly, lost in her painful memories. "We never hurt anyone, so why do they always try to kill us?"

"Because they think we are nothing but monsters," Nier replied.

"Huh?" Angiolina raised her head, not expecting her rhetorical question to be answered.

"Believe me, I was just as surprised as you are," Nier said. "But it's the truth. I don't know why, but Replicants can't understand our speech. What's worse, the relapsed Gestalts that are usually harmless to us attack and kill them on sight. Replicants can't tell the difference between us, so they think all of us are just bloodthirsty monsters."

This wasn't the first time Nier shared this particular revelation, making a point to tell everyone he came across what he knew. The question was whether she could accept the truth or deny it and remain willfully blind.

Angiolina stammered, half-formed words tumbling out in a confusing mess, her whole body trembling and strange wisps of darkness coalescing over her.

"Mommy? Are you alright?" Kalil asked, creeping closer.

Nier sucked in a startled breath, recognizing the signs of a Gestalt close to relapsing.

No!

He yanked his sword out of subspace and sliced his wrist open, letting his blood pour over the woman. Please, let it work!

His magic reacted to his desperation, some sort of energy building up inside him and flowing out in a dark wave. Slowly, the darkness subsided, black wisps seemingly absorbed by his blood, dragging Angiolina back from the brink.

She swayed slightly and looked down, "…Kalil?"

"Mommy!" the child cried, hugging her desperately.

"Oh, Kalil…" she whispered, holding him close. "I'm so sorry for scaring you…"

Nier sighed in relief, his wound closing slowly and that strange aura around him weakening though not disappearing. It worked. Admittedly, his blood and the stable demonic element in it could only delay the inevitable, but for now, she should be fine.

Angiolina finally let go of her son and knelt before Nier, bowing deeply, "Thank you for saving my life, Shadowlord. Please, forgive me for not recognizing you."

What.

* * *

Nier pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily after hearing the explanation, "Angiolina, please…"

What she said made an awful amount of sense. The demonic element in his blood kept the Gestalts stable, so of course they treated it like some sort of a miracle and him like a strange almost-deity.

It didn't mean that he was at all comfortable with it.

"You are the Shadowlord. Our savior," Angiolina said, stubbornly remaining on her knees.

Poor Kalil just looked confused.

Nier sighed again and knelt down too, placing his hands on the woman's shoulders, "Angiolina, I'm just a homeless guy who has no idea what he's doing. I don't know what makes me different – some genetic quirk, random coincidence, or just a giant cosmic joke – but I'm certainly not any kind of lord."

* * *

 _A/N: Guess what? There aren't any female characters other than the Blue Fairy in_ Pinocchio _and her name is already taken! So I used the name of Angiolina Orzali, the mother of Carlo Collodi (the author of_ Pinocchio _)._


	8. Tin Man

**Chapter 8: Tin Man**

It took some convincing, but Angiolina finally agreed to leave the dangerous facility and join one of the communities that Nier stumbled across in his travels.

It took even more convincing to get her to stop bowing and start calling him by his name again.

They moved out eventually, following the confusing, twisting corridors that Nier was reasonably sure led to the surface. While his teleportation could make the distance if he was alone, carrying anyone and anything increased the magic drain exponentially, so it really wasn't worth it.

Besides, it wasn't like there was all that much danger. Nier could easily dispatch any robots he came across.

The main problem was getting lost again.

Nier glowered at the sparkling remains of robot drones he ran into for the third time and scratched a mark on the wall, walking down the only corridor he hadn't used before.

He opened the massive door at the end of it, entering a huge circular room, and tried not to facepalm. It was a completely empty dead end.

Great.

"Mommy, are we lost?" Kalil whispered loudly, tugging on her hand.

"…Maybe a little," Angiolina admitted. "A map would be nice to have."

Nier huffed in exasperation and sat on the floor, waving at his companions to do the same, "Let's take a break. I'll try to map out this place through magic. If that doesn't work, I'll teleport us out. It might take several jumps and some time to rest in-between, but we'll get out."

Nier stretched his senses, his magic spilling out and tracing the possible teleportation points. It wasn't the most accurate map, but at least he could now see the difference between empty spaces and solid metal.

It didn't help much. This place was a labyrinth and they seemed to be right in its center.

Nier sighed, resting his chin on his knee. He really didn't want to teleport, but he didn't see any other choice, so he might as well get some rest first.

The dark energy radiating from him still refused to lessen but it didn't feel taxing. Quite the opposite: trying to suppress it did. From what Angiolina told him, this aura was what allowed her to recognize him as the Shadowlord.

He winced inwardly. Even in his own head the title sounded ridiculous. And were all Gestalts going to act like she did in front of him? …Well, maybe now he'd have a better chance at convincing them of the truth about Replicants.

And what about relapsed Gestalts? Would they react to his aura as well? He'd have to test it…

Something brushed his senses, dangerous and unfamiliar.

Nier opened his eyes and scrambled to his feet, standing between his companions and the approaching danger. His wings flared up, a drop of magic calling his sword back into his hands.

"What's wrong?" Angiolina asked worriedly, taking out her own weapon.

"Trouble," Nier growled. "Stay behind me and get ready to run."

The doors opened and a huge robot walked in, smoking and swaying oddly.

"Who's that?" Kalil squeaked.

"I am Military Defense Robot P-33," the thing said.

…An AI? That was either very good or very bad news. It all depended on whether the thing could be reasoned with.

"My name is Kalil!" the boy said, ignoring his mother trying to shush him. "Nice to meet you!"

"You are intruders. You must be eliminated," the robot stated.

Nier tensed, backing away and getting ready to teleport. He might have tried to take the thing down if he was alone (emphasis on _might_ ), but he couldn't risk Kalil and Angiolina's lives, so running away it was.

"But why?" Kalil whimpered, hiding under his mother's arm. "Why does everyone want to hurt us?"

"…Error. There is something leaking from your eyes."

"I'm crying, you big dumb robot! I miss my friends!" Kalil screeched.

Nier pushed the boy behind his back with one wing, watching the robot warily. Angiolina looked to be a second away from grabbing her son and running, but no one could tell what might provoke the seemingly malfunctioning robot into attacking them.

"What is crying? Who are friends?" the robot asked.

"…It doesn't matter. I can't see them ever again because they are dead."

Nier winced. Kalil seemed like such a cheerful child, it was easy to believe that the world spared him from the pain. But that wasn't true, was it? The poor boy lost his home and everyone he knew. If not for Angiolina…

"…My creator is also dead," the robot said, its flat voice showing a hint of emotion. "He perished hundreds of years ago."

"Hundreds of years? Really?" Kalil asked, peeking from under Nier's wing.

"847 years, 10 months, 14 days, 4 hours, and 43 minutes," the robot replied. "…44 minutes."

…Such precision was somewhere between obsessively creepy and just plain sad. Well, as long as the robot was talking and not trying to murder them all, Nier could handle it.

"I'm sorry to hear it," Angiolina said, joining the odd conversation. "You must have been very lonely."

"I am incapable of being lonely. Or missing others. Or crying."

"Not even if you are scared?" Kalil asked, still sniffing slightly.

"I am incapable of feeling fear," the robot replied. "…Are you scared?"

The boy nodded, "I'm scared because I don't want to die."

"Oh, Kalil…" Angiolina whispered, sounding on the verge of crying herself. "I'm so sorry…"

"You… will die?" the robot asked.

"Not if I have any say in it!" Angiolina snapped. "As long as I am still alive, I will protect my son!"

"…Protect," the robot said. "…Military Defense Robot P-33 is charged with protecting others. P-33 will protect you."

What.

"Really? Thanks, robot!" Kalil cheered. "And since we're friends now, I'm gonna call you Beepy!"

No, seriously, _what_?!

"Beepy…" the robot said slowly. "Designation accepted."

Kalil giggled and tried to run towards the newly named robot, but Angiolina was having none of it, snatching the boy by the scruff of his neck and shoving him behind her back.

"So, Beepy," she said. "Since we are all friends here, could you call off the other robots for us? And maybe get us a map of this place?"

"But mom!" Kalil whined. "We can't just leave!"

"…Leave?" the robot asked. "Leave… outside?"

"We could take you with us!" Kalil said, before Angiolina clamped a hand over his mouth.

…Hell, no. The last thing the outside world needed was a giant malfunctioning tin can.

"That's not the best of ideas," Angiolina said carefully.

"Kalil leaves… Beepy alone…" the robot said despondently. "Beepy… lonely."

"Then we're going to stay here!" Kalil screeched, wiggling out of his mother's grip. "Mom!"

"Kalil! Stop this immediately!"

Nier sighed, looking tiredly between the giant robot and two arguing Gestalts. Just when he thought his life couldn't get any stranger…

* * *

 _A/N: Bleh. I don't like repeating so much canon dialogue, but this chapter kinda ran away from me._


	9. Chasing Rumors

**Chapter 9: Chasing Rumors**

As Nier discovered, Weiss wasn't half as annoying as he seemed at first. For all his arrogance, the Grimoire more than pulled his weight in battle, his powerful if somewhat straightforward magic always a great asset. And it was rather nice to always have someone to talk to.

But that wasn't the only reason Nier constantly thanked whatever gods led to their meeting. Because if Popola was right, Weiss might be able to cure Black Scrawl.

It hurt to even think about Yonah withering away from the sickness, so Nier threw himself wholeheartedly into his search for Sealed Verses and whatever random jobs he was offered. Having a concrete goal, even if that goal was something as mundane as 'deliver this letter' or 'find some herbs', was much better than the soul-devouring helplessness of watching his daughter slowly die.

"Are you finally done playing postman?" Weiss grumbled from the usual place above his left shoulder. "Why haven't we left yet?"

"I haven't been in Seafront in a while," Nier replied. "It can't hurt to look around."

It never stopped to baffle Nier just how little reaction a flying talking book incited. True, Nier didn't have much of a reaction either upon their first meeting, but he blamed it on having bigger problems to occupy his mind. Namely, two giant statues trying to murder him and the ceiling falling on his head. What was everyone else's excuse?

"Ah, yes," the Grimoire sneered. "Perhaps you will be given the noble task of hunting sheep again?"

Nier only shrugged, "I've done worse jobs. As long as I get paid, I don't actually care."

Weiss grumbled a bit more, but Nier tuned him out, heading towards the tavern. It was as good place as any to get the latest rumors.

* * *

Nier looked around the sea shore, until he spotted a youth fishing from the pier. The boy looked just like the bartender described, his right leg in a splint and a pair of crutches lying nearby.

He didn't turn around when Nier approached, "If you came here to point and laugh at crazy Eric, then how about later? Don't need you scaring the fish."

"I'm not going to laugh," Nier replied.

"No?" the boy gave him a surprised look. "Huh. Don't think I've seen you before."

"I'm not from Seafront."

"Ah, so you probably don't know…" the boy nodded. "Whatever, I'm trying to catch something to eat."

"So, Eric, was it?" Nier asked, sitting down on the pier and introducing himself.

Eric glowered at him, "What? What do you want from me?"

Nier raised his hands, "Just to talk, honest."

"Heard the rumors and came to gawk?" the boy scoffed. "Sure, feel free to stare! Everyone else does!"

Nier sighed, "I don't think you are crazy."

"…You don't?" Eric asked hesitantly, anger fading from his voice.

"I don't," he nodded. "Honestly, I've seen some strange things myself."

"…Huh," Eric stared into the water below. Then his shoulders slumped and he sighed, "…Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Can you tell me what really happened to you?"

Eric nodded, "Yeah, sure. I went outside to gather some herbs, you know, earn some coin… Then this huge Shade appeared and attacked me. Broke my leg too, but hey, at least it wasn't my neck, right? Thought I was gonna die… And then this other Shade appeared and killed the first one."

"What did the second Shade look like?" Nier asked.

" _Weird_ ," Eric replied. "Kinda small and really solid. Wings like a moth, all transparent and a bit orange."

"Huh…" Nier frowned at the description. This Shade sounded exactly like the one he saw with Yonah. "What happened next?" he prompted.

The boy cringed, "You're gonna laugh. Think I'm crazy. Crazy Eric, making stuff up…"

Nier put his hand on the boy's shoulder, "I'm not going to laugh, I swear."

"…It _wrote_. Scratched on the ground that it wanted to help me. Then got some sticks and cut my shirt to make a splint for my leg. Then picked me up and _flew_ , right to the gates. Even brought all the herbs I gathered… Nobody believed me, of course. Sometimes I don't believe it myself…"

"I do," Nier said. "I've seen this Shade before. It saved my daughter."

"Really?" Eric looked at him in wonder then smiled hesitantly, "I'll… have to remember this. Thank you."

Nier left quietly and Eric remained on the pier, whispering to himself, "I'm not crazy… I'm really not."

"Well, that was… enlightening," Weiss said. "I am admittedly getting curious about this Shade myself."

Nier sighed, "Let's just go." He didn't know what to think anymore.

"And where is your next errand taking us?" Weiss asked.

"The Aerie."

* * *

"So… part-Shade?" Nier asked, still feeling off-balance after his encounter with Kainé and their subsequent failure of a battle with the monstrous lizard Shade.

"Possessed by a Shade," Weiss corrected. "It seemed to give her magic powers and- and-" The book twitched slightly, visibly fighting his faulty memory, "Ugh, I should remember this! There's something- something about- Gah!"

"Calm down, Weiss," Nier said, lightly touching the Grimoire's trembling cover. "It's fine."

"No, it's not!" Weiss snapped. "It's important! Shades… possession… I should know this!"

The Grimoire swayed back and forth, struggling to stay afloat, and suddenly fell down. Nier barely managed to catch the surprisingly heavy book in time, feeling more than a little worried when Weiss went completely still in his hands. Could he be unconscious? How would you even tell if there was something wrong with a magic book?

Nier carefully put him down and opened his silver cover, slowly flipping through white pages. He couldn't see any damage, but it wasn't as if he was particularly well-versed in magical artefacts.

"…Weiss?" he called again.

The white pages fluttered on their own and the heavy metal cover snapped closed. Weiss groaned and rose shakily into the air, "You left your dirty fingerprints all over my pages!"

"Are you alright?" Nier asked. Well, if Weiss was complaining already, then the answer was probably yes.

"I am perfectly fine," the Grimoire haughtily replied. "This appears to be merely an unpleasant side-effect of the damage you inflicted upon me during our first meeting."

"…You are never going to let me live it down, are you?"

* * *

 _A/N: Eric is the name of the prince from_ The Little Mermaid _._

 _P.S. I'll try to post the next chapter on Sunday, but it might be a few days late. Sorry._


	10. Collision Course

**Chapter 10: Collision Course**

Nier could see in the darkness well enough, and even if the stale air wasn't particularly pleasant, he was starting to get used to it. At least this place was safe: the dark cave could only be reached through teleportation, its labyrinthine tunnels too narrow to crawl through.

Nier pressed his forehead to the cold surface of the stasis pod, looking at his daughter's unmoving figure within. The technology was working fine, just a few drops of his blood enough to keep the generator running, but it was still only a temporary measure.

He still hadn't found a way to stop Yonah from relapsing.

Nier stared at his unmarred wrist, the wound healed without a trace. His blood had helped Angiolina, but he knew it wouldn't be enough for Yonah. His daughter was so far gone that unfreezing her even for a few minutes was too dangerous without a body to put her in.

…Right. _Body_.

He still felt unsettled after meeting Yonah's Replicant. Seeing her so scared of him then growing braver, smiling, hugging him… To have his daughter in his arms again…

Nier dragged a hand down his face. No, he shouldn't think like that. No matter what she looked like, she wasn't _his_ daughter, just like his own Replicant wasn't _him_. Replicants were their own people, not just copies. He had to remember this.

Nier pressed his back to the stasis pod and slid down, holding his head in both hands. He didn't really _need_ a physical body himself. He was stable and he wouldn't relapse, so this magical construct suited him just fine. But Yonah…

What was he going to do if there really was no other way to stop her from relapsing? Could he really sacrifice another child to save her?

…No, he couldn't. Yonah would never accept it.

He had to find another way.

* * *

Sleep seemed to be the one thing still necessary for him. Nier might be able to go without for some time, but even the not-quite-physical construct he called his body eventually demanded rest.

He woke up feeling much better, despite falling asleep on the rough stone floor. The stable maso in his blood had recharged fully, drawing energy from other worlds to power his magic. And… was it just his imagination or were his energy reserves slightly bigger than he remembered? Well, he supposed regular exercise could do this.

And he did unlock another ability not too long ago.

It was strange how quickly he got used to his aura, because he didn't even notice the energy radiating from him until he thought about it.

Nier concentrated on the dark aura, trying to suppress it. It wasn't particularly hard, but the energy coiling under his skin and struggling to get out made him feel like a boiling pot with a too heavy lid. He let it go and the energy immediately flowed out, settling at the same level Nier supposed was his new normal.

Could he do the opposite? Nier gathered his magic, pouring it out, and the aura responded, growing in strength. He stopped the flow of power and the additional energy dissipated, his aura once again at the normal level.

And now to test its effects…

* * *

Nier hovered in the air, staring at the group of relapsed Gestalts. The Gestalts silently stared back, which was more unnerving than he wanted to admit.

Well, at least it proved that they could feel his aura.

Nier landed and immediately regretted it. An average Gestalt was much taller than him and the memories of being a regular human surrounded by monsters, unmarred by his centuries-long sleep, made alarm bells ring in his mind.

Except he wasn't so helpless anymore.

Nier arched his wings and flared his aura. Even if those Gestalts attacked him, he could easily take them down. But it _would_ make him feel better if they didn't tower over him like this.

The Gestalts knelt down.

…This again? Honestly… It was better than being attacked but he felt ridiculous. And since those were relapsed Gestalts, Nier couldn't exactly _tell_ them not to bother. It wasn't like they could even understand him…

The Gestalts stood up.

What.

…Did- did he make them do this?

* * *

This aura was proving to be surprisingly useful. It wasn't just _magic_ he could project, he could lace it with thoughts, emotions… _orders_. Thankfully, it seemed less like mind control and more akin to a different method of communication. Relapsed Gestalts were simply more susceptible to it, while the sane ones could easily brush his commands aside.

At least it was better than killing them.

And speaking of… Nier could faintly feel the presence of Replicants and relapsed Gestalts far closer to each other than he liked.

It was time to defuse another fight then.

He flew towards the disturbance and sure enough there was a battle straight ahead. Three Replicants, all of them already injured, were about to be overrun by relapsed Gestalts.

Nier flared his aura, commanding the Gestalts to stop attacking and leave. The majority obeyed immediately, but some ignored him. Nier could feel how severely relapsed they were. Were they too far gone? …Then so be it.

He teleported in, cutting down the mad Gestalts in a few strikes. He flared his aura, urging the others to leave once again, just in case they turned on him, but they didn't seem to care about the death of their brethren.

Nier lowered his sword. That was easy…

He forgot that Gestalts weren't the only danger around.

Nier barely managed to dodge the Replicant attacking him. He rose into the air, unwilling to fight them and preferring to stay out of their reach. The Replicants simply switched targets, chasing after the ground-bound Gestalts instead.

…Hell, no.

Nier shaped his magic and landed, letting the spell loose. The Replicants halted when rows of crimson sharp-edged constructs rose from the ground, blocking their way.

"They are already leaving," Nier growled, pointing his sword at the Replicants. "Let them go."

Of course, they couldn't understand him. The same Replicant attacked him again, but Nier was ready. He blocked the attack with a summoned hand, tightening the grip of the magic construct around the sword until it snapped in half.

He stared the Replicant down, letting the construct dissipate. That seemed to get his point across, the other two Replicants backing off and dragging the first one away.

Nier waited until they left and sighed tiredly. Not for the first time he wondered if it was still possible to stop this war. He felt like an ant before the enormity of the task. All of his bumbling around with no idea what he was doing… Did it even matter in the grand scheme of things?

He shook his head, trying to chase away the depressing thoughts. He had to believe that he was making a difference. Even a single life saved was more than worth it.

* * *

Nier perched above the entrance to some sort of an underground facility. He could faintly feel the presence of Gestalts inside it and if his magically enhanced senses were correct, they weren't relapsed.

And that meant another round of revelations.

Nier didn't like telling people that everything they believed in was wrong, but if peace was to be achieved, spreading the word was crucial. At least his status as the Shadowlord made them more willing to listen to him.

He jumped down and opened the heavy doors, when another feeling brushed across his senses. Relapsed Gestalt! And a powerful one too…

Nier immediately rose into the air, flying towards it. A Gestalt this powerful could only be a fused one and those were the most dangerous. He couldn't just let it run free.

He gasped, freezing in the air at the sight of the monstrous thing climbing the mountain cliffs. It was huge, bigger than any land-dwelling creature had any right to be, and Nier felt his stomach drop, realizing that he might not be able to defeat it.

The monster jumped and landed in the middle of an ancient air base, repurposed into a village. Nier could feel the presence of Replicants who had no defense against the relapsed monster and suddenly it was no longer a question of whether or not he _could_ defeat it.

He had to.


	11. First Contact

**Chapter 11: First Contact**

Nier gritted his teeth, watching helplessly as the massive reptilian Shade crawled up the side of the mountain, knocking down the metal buildings of the Aerie, and jumped down on a different platform.

He cursed himself for failing to kill it the first time. He had to stop this monster before it hurt anyone else!

"What in the heavens…?" Weiss gasped.

Nier echoed the sentiment, seeing gigantic crimson arms, identical to the ones he could summon, grab the metal houses and lift them up, placing them on the ground safely. Who was using this magic?

Kainé launched herself into battle again, her supernatural speed and agility allowing her to easily clear the distance. Nier had to scramble over the narrow bridges and ladders instead.

Kainé was slashing at the monster with both her swords, torrent of profanity spewing from her lips as she dodged its attacks. Nier sent a barrage of magic spears at the Shade, but the monster easily shook it off, seemingly unharmed.

"Watch out!" Weiss cried and Nier barely dodged the swipe of the Shade's ugly tail.

It roared, the disturbing sound far too similar to laughter, and ran up the side of the cliff once again.

Damn, they had to knock it down somehow!

Apparently, the mysterious magic-user came to the same conclusion, because another gigantic arm grabbed the monstrous lizard by its tail and tugged it down, throwing it back onto the platform.

"Is that another fucking Shade?!" Kainé yelled and Nier did a double-take, recognizing their accidental ally. It was the same strange Shade he saw with Yonah!

It vanished in a cloud of darkness and reappeared right above the monster's head, trying to gouge out its remaining eye and disappearing again when the monster retaliated.

"We'll deal with it later!" Nier shouted to Kainé. Whatever reason it had for fighting other Shades, right now they needed all the help they could get.

"No complaints from me!" the woman snarled, leaping into the fight once again.

The giant Shade breathed out a cloud of mist and Kainé staggered, wobbling on her feet, "…Grandma?"

"…Kainé? What's going on?"

"Stay back or this poison will affect you as well!" Weiss warned him.

"But Kainé…!"

He didn't need to worry, because a blast of power from the enraged woman cleared the air, and she jumped into battle once again.

Nier immediately joined the fight and the strange Shade reappeared as well. He struggled not to attack it too, but enemy of an enemy was better than nothing.

Weiss was glowing slightly and Nier could feel his magic gather as he prepared for something big. The power poured inside him, the world coloring crimson, and Nier jumped into the air, so high he was almost flying. Two massive arms appeared at his sides and he used them to push the monster down, shattering the platform and impaling the beast on the metal pillar.

It slowly began to dissolve and Nier landed, feeling the magic start to dissipate.

He froze at the sudden realization. Where was Kainé?

* * *

Nier fought the urge to grab Kainé and hug her, so happy he was that his new friend was alive and well, but the prickly woman would probably stab him for daring to touch her.

"It is only the second time we met," Weiss grumbled. "I would hardly call it a solid basis for friendship."

"What, and taking down a giant Shade together doesn't count?" Nier asked.

Kainé was a good woman, if jaded and rough around the edges, but he could understand why. What she said during the battle certainly painted enough of a picture. Hopefully, he'll get the chance to get to know her better, now that she agreed to team up with him.

Besides, it wasn't like his first meeting with Weiss was all that different.

Nier sighed. He felt completely exhausted, but it was more than worth it to defeat the monstrous lizard. The Aerie might've been full of bigots and overall unpleasant people, but they didn't deserve to die.

A sudden movement caught his eye, snapping Nier back to attention. His eyes widened at the sight of the strange Shade descending from the sky. He thought it had left!

The Shade folded its faintly glowing wings and raised its hands, showing they were empty. It was tense, watching them warily.

Nier was surprised how odd it looked, now that he could look at it properly. Was it, perhaps, part-human, like Kainé?

"So this is our mysterious Shade?" Weiss murmured. "How intriguing…"

"It's just another beast," Kainé growled, readying her swords.

But it did help them, just like it helped Yonah as well as other people, if the stories were to be believed.

The Shade's wings snapped up, arching tensely. It looked ready to fly away.

"Wait!" Nier shouted. "Who are you? Why did you help us?"

The Shade growled, shifting uneasily as its wings slowly folded down.

"What a load of bull," Kainé grumbled.

The Shade narrowed its yellow eyes at her and growled again.

"There's nothing to understand!" she snapped.

"What are you talking about, Kainé?" Nier asked, looking between her and the Shade.

The Shade dragged one hand down its face in a strangely human gesture. Then it raised its right hand and quickly waved it in the air, as if scribbling on something.

"…Writing?" Weiss asked.

The Shade nodded.

"You want something to write with?" Nier clarified and the Shade nodded again in response.

Hmmm… Nier looked around, his gaze falling on Weiss.

"Any reason you are staring at me?" the Grimoire demanded.

"Say, Weiss…" Nier drawled and the sentient book reeled back.

"Oh no, don't even think about it! I am the great Grimoire Weiss, not some rag for you to scribble on!"

Kainé laughed suddenly, shaking her head, "You two are fucking idiots who will get us all killed but whatever." She turned around and walked away, gesturing for them to follow, "Come on, I'll give you some fucking crayons."

* * *

They left the Aerie and gathered outside Kainé's shack of a home. The woman scratched a long line on the ground with one of her swords and pointed it at the Shade, "Don't cross this fucking line or I will tear off your wings and shove them up your ass!"

The Shade raised its hands and took a very deliberate step back, sitting on the ground.

"Hmph," Kainé scoffed, walking quickly towards the shack and digging out several sheets of paper and a stub of a crayon. She put both items on the Shade's side of the line and quickly stepped back, crossing her arms.

The Shade growled at her and Kainé's scowl intensified, "Fuck off."

The Shade sighed and picked up the crayon, scribbling something quickly and flipping the paper around, showing them the words, _"What do you want to know?"_

"Holy shit…" Kainé whispered, her fingers curling into fists.

Nier wanted to swear too. Stories were one thing, but seeing this with his own eyes…

"Who are you? And why did you help us?" Weiss asked, as the only one of them to keep his wits about him.

The Shade frowned and looked down, scribbling its response, _"It's a long story, far too long."_

"Then make it short!" Kainé snapped.

The Shade nodded and started writing again, _"In short: at first all Shades were as intelligent as you are, but as time went by, many started to relapse, losing their minds and going berserk. These are the ones you encountered. You can't understand our language, so you can't tell the difference between intelligent and relapsed Shades, since most of us look the same. Sometimes many relapsed Shades fuse into one, forming into monsters like the one we fought. They are a danger to everyone."_

Kainé narrowed her eyes, "Do you seriously think we are going to believe this bullshit?"

The Shade shrugged and added another sentence, _"Your choice."_

"Relapse…" Weiss mumbled, wobbling slightly in the air. "It sounds… familiar."

Nier focused on him, "So this is true?"

"How would I know?" the Grimoire snapped. "Thanks to some mindless brute who broke my seal with a _sword_ I cannot remember anything!"

Nier stared at the words scrawled in crayon. If this was true… it changed _everything_.


	12. Getting to Know You

**Chapter 12: Getting to Know You**

And here Nier thought that coming face to face with his own Replicant would be the most disturbing part of this encounter... Clearly, the universe was determined to prove him wrong at every turn.

He shifted uneasily, making conscious effort to keep his wings folded rather than flaring out. That woman, Kainé, bothered him on a level he could barely understand, much less describe. Possession alone was bad enough (Nier was surprised that she hadn't relapsed yet because she seemed to be constantly teetering on the edge), but there was something inherently _wrong_ with the way the Gestalt and the Replicant fit together. Or rather all the ways they _didn't_ fit. Not to mention, he wasn't even sure which of them was in control.

Nier shivered, trying to shake off the uncanny feeling, and turned his attention to the floating book. Weiss, as the Grimoire introduced himself, reminded him far too much of Noir. Strangely enough, the magic book seemed to suffer from amnesia, which could turn out to be either a very good or a very bad thing.

And then there was his Replicant… It didn't feel quite like looking into the mirror, but far too similar nonetheless. Nier could only hope that his own inhuman features hid their similarities, because he was nowhere ready to open that can of worms.

"So, do you have a name?" his Replicant asked and Nier froze. Oh no, he was _so_ not answering that!

"What, is it that hard of a fucking question?" Kainé scoffed, noticing his reaction.

 _"I'll tell you later,"_ Nier wrote down and immediately cringed at the curious looks his answer gathered. Great idea! Now they would eventually expect an answer… He should've just made something up, but his mind went completely blank.

"Well, at any rate, I wanted to thank you for your help," his Replicant said, seemingly accepting the non-answer for now.

Nier shrugged awkwardly, _"I could say the same. I don't think I could've taken that monster down without help."_

"Have you been hunting it for long?" Kainé asked with a strange note in her voice.

 _"Not this one in particular,"_ Nier wrote. _"But I've been hunting hostile Shades, especially fused ones."_

"But why would you kill your own kind?" Weiss asked curiously.

 _"Relapsed Shades can't be helped or reasoned with. And fused monsters like this one are just mindless beasts that only know how to kill and destroy. I have the power to fight them, so I did."_

"Sure," Kainé scoffed. "Just out of the goodness of your fucking heart?"

"What's your damn problem?!" Nier snapped out loud, his wings flaring up. "And don't pretend you can't understand me, because I know you can!"

"None of your goddamn business!" the woman snarled.

"Then stop taking out your issues on me!"

"So you can understand him?" Weiss interjected suddenly.

Kainé nearly flinched, not expecting the interruption.

 _"She can,"_ Nier wrote, ignoring the woman's searing glare. _"She just doesn't want to admit it."_

"This must be the side-effect of possession," the Grimoire mused.

"Shut your nonexistent mouth and stop talking about me!" Kainé snapped.

His Replicant was frowning, "But why can't we understand you? All I can hear are some strange noises."

Nier shrugged, _"I honestly have no idea. There must be some magic involved, because to me my own speech or that of other Shades doesn't sound any different from yours."_

He paused, staring at the paper sheets in his hands. Should he tell them more? And would they even believe him if he did? Well, they seemed to be accepting so far (or at least his Replicant and the Grimoire were), so he could try to push his luck a bit further.

 _"I didn't know this was an issue at first,"_ he finally wrote. _"None of the Shades I talked to did either. It was only my accidental meeting with your daughter that gave me a clue that none of you could understand us. I've been trying to spread this information around, but I don't know if I was successful."_

"…I'm sorry," his Replicant said. "You- you saved Yonah, didn't you? And I tried to kill you…" He looked deathly pale, "And- how many others-"

 _"You didn't know any better,"_ Nier quickly scribbled down. _"Who could blame you for trying to protect your family?"_ He hesitated for a bit, not sure if he was saying too much, then decided to just go for it, _"I have a daughter too. There isn't much I won't do for her. I just wish I knew how to help her."_

"Is there something wrong with her?" his Replicant asked.

Nier looked away, wrapping his wings around himself. He didn't want to talk about it, but he desperately needed help.

 _"She is on the verge of relapsing,"_ he wrote, not looking at the others. _"I'm using a piece of ancient technology to keep her in stasis, but it can't reverse the process, only stall it. I've been searching everywhere, trying to find a way to save her from insanity, but so far I've found nothing. I don't know what to do anymore."_

"You could travel with us," his Replicant offered.

Nier reeled back in surprise, his wings spreading reflexively to help him balance.

"Now wait just a second!" Weiss protested.

"What the fuck?!" Kainé yelled.

His Replicant ignored them completely, "We are looking for ancient magic called 'Sealed Verses'. Maybe we'll find something that can help you too!"

Nier stared at him incredulously. Out of all the things he imagined meeting his Replicant would lead to, this certainly wasn't one of them.

"You are a good fighter and you know a lot about Shades," his Replicant continued. "We work well together, so we could help each other!" He stretched his arm out, offering his hand, "What do you say?"

…Well, what the hell did he have to lose anyway?

Nier shook the offered hand, wondering just what exactly he was getting himself into.


	13. Home, Sweet Home

**Chapter 13: Home, Sweet Home**

"I can't believe you did this!" Weiss grumbled. "Teaming up with a Shade! Is that possessed hussy not enough for you?"

"You are a flying book, you don't have a room to talk," Nier replied.

The Grimoire sighed, "I suppose it could be worse. At least he doesn't swear."

"How would you know? You can't understand his speech."

Weiss sputtered, his pages ruffling, and fell into offended silence.

Nier grinned slightly and continued on his way back to the village, stealing a few glances at his new companions.

Kainé never seemed to shift out of a battle stance, her hands always gripping her swords. She darted back and forth, as if searching for enemies to slay, but never moved in front of him, preferring to follow rather than to lead.

The nameless Shade stayed even farther away, leaping from shadow to shadow in his attempts to avoid sunlight. Nier was thankful for the distance: it would take far more time before his instincts stopped treating the Shade like an enemy.

They crossed the distance without running into a single Shade, which Nier was grateful for. After the recent revelations, he wasn't all that keen on dealing with them.

Nier paused before the gates to his village when his new companion growled something in his incomprehensible language, quickly scribbling on a sheet of a paper, _"If I'm going to travel with you, I need to do something first. How long will you stay in the village?"_

"About a day or two," Nier replied, squinting at the barely legible writing.

 _"That's more than enough time for me. I'll be back in a few hours."_

"Do you need any help?" Nier asked.

The Shade shook his head, _"I need to check on my daughter, make sure her stasis pod is working fine and has enough fuel."_

Nier nodded in understanding, "Then I'll see you tomorrow."

The Shade raised his hand in farewell and took flight, quickly disappearing in the distance.

Nier slowly exhaled, feeling tension he hadn't noticed before disappear. Despite their surprisingly friendly interactions, the presence of the Shade still set him on edge.

He shook his head, raking his hand through his hair, and turned towards the gates. He just wanted to get home.

"Hey," Kainé called, making him pause, "I'll wait outside."

Nier frowned at her, "Are you sure? I could introduce you to Yonah."

"I like being alone," she replied.

"Don't force the issue," Weiss murmured. "Not everyone is as obsessed with company of others as you are."

Nier was too tired to argue, "Alright. See you tomorrow then."

* * *

"Dad! You're back!" Yonah cheered, hugging him immediately.

Nier ruffled her hair and sat down on the edge of her bed, keeping one arm around her shoulders. He listened to his daughter's excited rambling, glad to see her so full of energy. At least the medicine was helping her deal with the symptoms, even if it couldn't cure her.

"So where were you? Did you go fishing in Seafront again?" Yonah asked.

Nier didn't have a lot of luck with fishing, which Weiss never stopped mocking him for. He shook his head, "No, this time we went to the Aerie."

Yonah gasped. "Is it really made of clouds?!"

Nier smiled, "No, because the Aerie is _above_ the clouds."

"That's so cool! I really want to see it someday!"

Nier hid a wince. He hated how his daughter was forced to stay at home but there was nothing he could do about it.

"When you get better, we can travel anywhere you want," he reassured, hoping against hope that it wasn't just an empty promise. "Hey, you'll never guess who I've met," he said, trying to change the topic. "Do you remember the Shade that helped you?"

"You met it?!" Yonah gasped in delight. Then her face fell, "Dad, tell me you didn't hurt it! Please! It's a nice Shade!"

Nier almost flinched. Was that really what his daughter thought about him? Then again, considering the way he acted… "No, I didn't," he hurried to reassure. "We're actually going to travel together. And Kainé – remember, I told you about her? – is going to travel with us too."

"You have so many friends! Can I meet them?"

"Ah… Maybe later?" Nier said awkwardly. "They both have some things to do first."

"Okay," Yonah nodded. "Weissey is always here but I wanna see your other friends too."

"Weissey?!" the up to this moment silent Grimoire sputtered. "My name is Grimoire Weiss!"

"Of course it is," Nier nodded. "Weissey."

Yonah giggled and Weiss fell silent again, radiating offence.

* * *

Nier lied in his bed, staring at the ceiling. No matter how tired he was, the sleep refused to come.

"Any reason you are still awake?" Weiss grumbled from his place on the nearby shelf. "Your inefficient human body requires rest, so get on with it."

Nier sighed, "Weiss… Did I do the right thing? That Shade… Could he be lying?"

Weiss huffed in exasperation, "You were so eager to claim him as a friend, yet you are having doubts already?"

Nier jerked his shoulder in a half-shrug.

"Whether he is lying or not remains to be seen, but it doesn't change the fact that you were wrong about the Shades," Weiss said. "That is what truly bothers you, is it not?"

"It's just… All my life I thought that Shades were just mindless monsters, but if they're not…"

"Then it means that you have killed intelligent beings," Weiss continued for him. "…Are you, perchance, feeling guilty?"

Nier turned away.

"Well, you cannot change the past, can you?" Weiss said. "Besides, you acted upon the only information available to you at the time. Even that Shade doesn't blame you. Did he not say that many of his kind lose their minds and go berserk?"

"That doesn't mean all of them were like that," Nier replied. "I- I keep thinking about all the Shades I killed… And I can't even remember! Did all of them attack me first? Or-"

"And I repeat: you cannot change the past," Weiss interrupted. "You didn't know any better."

…No, he didn't. He could only try to do better in the future.


	14. Fireside Conversations

**Chapter 14:** **Fireside Conversations**

The ancient technology was built to last: Nier only had to make sure the generator had enough fuel. An easy thing to do when the fuel in question was running through his veins. As long as he checked up on Yonah every week or two, she would be perfectly fine.

Nier sighed and leaned against the wall of the cave. Everything was happening so fast… He barely knew how to react anymore. Was he right to team up with his Replicant?

Nier nodded decisively. Yes, he was. Any step towards peace, no matter how small or odd, was more than worth it. But what should he do now? How much should he reveal? And how much would they believe if he did?

He frowned, thinking it over. He had told the most important things: that Gestalts (or Shades, as Replicants called them) were intelligent, that some of them went mad, which he was trying to stop, and that most didn't know about the language barrier. Should he say more or was it better to stay quiet?

Nier had lived through it, had time to come to terms with everything, but even he had trouble accepting the truth. No, he couldn't just tell them everything at once. They either wouldn't believe him or assume the worst.

But he couldn't stay silent forever either, nor could he lie. For all he knew, Grimoire Weiss might regain his memories…

He needed to wait and gain some trust first. Then he would try to see whether they could accept the truth.

* * *

Nier flew without hurry, enjoying the feeling of wind under his wings. The faint echo of the magic bond that tied him to his Replicant showed that he was still in the village. Probably asleep, since it was currently the equivalent of night-time. Granted, the sun was still up, if covered in clouds, but people still needed sleep and he supposed it was easier to have a common resting time.

He looked at the mountain cliffs, searching for a shadowed spot to hide in. He didn't want to be at the mercy of the weather for however long he had to wait until his Replicant decided to move out.

Something bright caught his eye and Nier veered off, flying towards what he could see was a campfire. He landed on a narrow ledge close to the top of the cliff and curiously looked down.

Why was Kainé staying outside?

"Hey! I can fucking see you there!" she yelled.

Nier wasn't trying to hide, so it wasn't surprising that Kainé noticed him. He jumped down, spreading his wings to slow his descent, and landed, keeping some distance between them.

"Why the hell are you here?" she grumbled.

"I was wondering the same thing," Nier replied. "I thought you would go with-" he stumbled slightly over the name, "-with Nier and stay in the village."

"None of your business," she snapped. "I like being alone, so how about you fuck off to wherever the hell you crawled from?"

"Can you even talk without swearing?" Nier asked dryly. "And I _flew_ , not crawled."

Kainé rolled her eyes, "Whatever, smartass."

She didn't tell him to leave again, so Nier sat down, stretching his hands towards the fire.

Kainé seemed perfectly content to ignore him, so Nier took the chance to study her. She felt closer to a regular Replicant now (she certainly _looked_ normal, clothing choice notwithstanding), but there was still an undercurrent of something inherently _Gestalt_ within her.

Well, Nier supposed that answered the question of whether the Gestalt or the Replicant was in control.

Kainé abruptly stood up, grabbing her swords, "If you are going to take up space, then make yourself useful and watch the fire. I'm going to catch some food."

She quickly ran off, leaving Nier a small supply of kindling to manage the fire with. He shook his head in bewilderment. What the hell was her problem? But as long as she wasn't trying to stab him, he could deal with the attitude. At least she stopped pretending to not understand him: Nier had more than enough communication problems without her adding to them.

Nier sighed. He was probably being unfair. Even without taking possession into account, Kainé had issues upon issues. Her rant during the battle was certainly enough of a clue…

Kainé returned before he ran out of things to add to the fire. She held a slightly bloody rabbit carcass, which she put over the fire and soon the smell of cooking meat filled the air.

"If you want something to eat, get it yourself," Kainé said. "This one's mine."

Nier shook his head, "I don't need food."

"Lucky bastard," she scoffed.

Silence reigned once again, but it didn't feel too strained. Nier was never one for small talk and Kainé seemed to be the same.

Nier shuffled his wings slightly, draping them over himself. They tended to become nearly insubstantial when fully folded, which sometimes felt like they were falling asleep.

"How the fuck do you fly with these things?" Kainé asked.

"My wings are stronger than they seem," Nier replied. Seeing her dubious look, Nier stretched his right wing to its full length, "Here. See for yourself."

Kainé stared at him like she doubted his sanity. Then she slowly raised her hand and rubbed the tip of his wing between her fingers. She pressed her thumb to the translucent membrane, looking like she half-expected to tear right through, but the wing was much sturdier than that.

"Huh…" Kainé let the wing go and Nier wrapped it around himself once again.

Kainé turned her attention back to her dinner, ignoring him again, but it still felt like something had shifted between them, the silence becoming a fraction more comfortable.

Who knew? Maybe in time they could become something more than incidental allies.

Nier certainly hoped so.


	15. Blood Is Sound

**Chapter 15: Blood Is Sound**

After all the growling and standoffishness from the day before, Nier didn't expect to see Kainé and the Shade so calm around each other, yet here they were.

"Where are we going?" Kainé asked as she put out the campfire, either not noticing or ignoring his surprise.

"The Junk Heap," Nier replied.

"That's a boring-ass place," she scoffed. "Whatever. Let's go then."

They didn't come across a single Shade on their way to the bridge which was more than a little strange. True, the number of Shade attacks had lessened, but not a single one of them?

Nier glanced at his Shade companion. Was it his doing? He did say that he had talked to intelligent Shades and hunted hostile ones…

Maybe teaming up with him really was the right thing to do.

* * *

"An ancient military base doesn't sound like the most inviting of places," Weiss mused. "Do you really think those boys' mother could have survived there for a whole week? That is, if she even went there."

"Weiss…" Nier sighed. "I promised Jakob and Gideon to look for her. I'm not going to go back on my word. Besides, stranger things happened."

One of those stranger things was quickly scribbling on a sheet of paper before showing it to him.

 _"I've been here before,"_ Nier read. _"There's a lot of robot drones around. Not that bad, if you can fly. I've met two Shades there: Angiolina and her son Kalil. They are friendly, so try not to scare them too much. Kalil also managed to befriend one of the robots. I've seen it with my own eyes and I still don't know how exactly that happened."_

"Are there many Shades in this place?" Nier asked.

 _"Last time it was just the two of them. I don't think that changed, since the robots are dangerous to them too. But many other places similar to this one have Shades living inside. The ones outside are almost always relapsed. Most intelligent Shades aren't going to risk sunlight."_

"Are we going in or what?" Kainé interrupted, sounding bored. "This is taking too damn long."

"This would've been much faster if you helped with the translation," Weiss grumbled.

Kainé pointed her thumb at the Shade, "He says I swear too fucking much."

"…That we can both agree on," the Grimoire grudgingly admitted.

The Shade shrugged, hiding the paper and the crayon in what looked like the same dimensional pocket Weiss used. He took out his sword, wordlessly showing his readiness.

Nier nodded in agreement, "Alright. Let's go."

* * *

"Alert. Alert. Intruder detected," the robotic voice said.

That… didn't sound good.

"Defenses activated," it continued. "Commencing extermination protocol."

…Definitely not good.

Weiss swiveled around, "…This bodes ill."

"No shit, genius," Kainé growled, swords at the ready. "Looks like we took a wrong fucking turn."

"Intruder located. Elimination procedure charged and ready. Commencing extermination protocol."

With a loud rumble what looked like a giant robotic head and hands appeared above the platform. Bright beams of energy shot from the tips of metal fingers, crisscrossing the platform.

Nier barely managed to dodge, Kainé somersaulting above the lasers with ease. The Shade stretched his wings, taking flight, and Nier caught himself thinking how easy it would've been for him to escape. Instead, the Shade flew around the robotic head and attacked the cables and struts attaching it to the wall.

The robot shuddered, its laser beams turning off, and tried to grab the Shade with one hand, but he immediately teleported away. Nier took the opportunity to attack the other hand with magic, hoping to if not destroy than at least damage the laser, while Kainé kept the smaller drones and weapons rising from the floor off his back.

Their teamwork paid off, first one than another hand falling down after losing its propulsion. Even the never-ending horde of drones and barrage of missiles eventually stopped, and the giant head lost power, all its cables cut.

With the defense system destroyed, the metal bridge returned to the platform and the doors opened.

Nier sighed in relief and turned to his teammates, "Is everyone alright?"

Kainé looked none the worse for wear, only a few minor burns marring her skin. The Shade had a long shallow cut down his arm that was already healing, his dark blood sparkling with magic. Nier himself had nothing worse than a few bruises.

"It appears so," Weiss said. "Let us leave this place before we get dragged into another pointless battle."

With a familiar sound, the Grimoire drew the blood into himself, absorbing it without a trace. The Shade flinched back, obviously startled, but relaxed when nothing else happened. He started to say something, before seemingly remembering that the disjointed sounds of his speech were as incomprehensible as ever. He took out the paper and crayon, starting to write, before Weiss interrupted him.

"Can you repeat that?" the Grimoire asked, floating closer.

The Shade looked at him oddly, but started speaking again.

"Again!" Weiss demanded, rising in the air slightly.

"What's the matter with you?" Nier asked.

Weiss either didn't hear or chose to ignore him, "Keep talking! I can- I can almost hear you…!"

The Shade looked surprised then contemplative. He nodded decisively and took out his sword, slashing the blade across his wrist and offering the bleeding wound to the Grimoire.

Weiss rustled his pages, eagerly absorbing the blood, his cover almost glowing with magic, "Come on, say something!"

The Shade did and Weiss laughed in response, sounding more than a little unhinged, "Yes! It works! I can understand you now!"

The Shade growled something.

"You said that this would make things easier," Weiss said, sounding downright giddy, and the Shade nodded. "Perfect! Now let's see whether it works on others! Did you not say that there were more Shades around? Let's go!"


	16. Lord of Shadows

**Chapter 16: Lord of Shadows**

"That's… a lot of Shades," Nier said, looking warily around the massive room. Much more than the promised two.

His teammate looked just as surprised, before approaching the Shades and starting to speak to them.

"He's asking why they're all here, since this place is quite dangerous," Weiss translated. "The other says that- Beepy? Now that is an odd name… That Beepy deactivated most of the defenses, so plenty of Shades came to live in this place. But then the system malfunctioned and they became trapped here, surrounded by hostile robots. Now they are thanking him for taking it down. Hmph! As if we didn't do most of the work!"

"What the fuck?" Kainé whispered loudly, when all the Shades moved as one, kneeling before their teammate and bowing deeply.

"Hail to the Shadowlord," the Grimoire said, sounding like he was translating on autopilot. "Hail to our savior."

Nier stared incredulously first at the Shades, then at his visibly uncomfortable but not at all surprised teammate.

"Huh. He says that he isn't anyone's lord and all this is really unnecessary," Weiss said, sounding more normal. "And that we are leaving. Right now."

The Shade quickly turned around and walked stiffly towards them, looking like he was trying desperately not to break into a run. His wings snapped open, one wrapping around Nier and the other snatching protesting Weiss out of the air, dragging them towards the exit.

He still didn't dare to touch Kainé.

* * *

"Care to explain what that was all about?" Weiss asked when the Shade finally stopped his hurried escape.

He rubbed his temples and growled something in response.

"Long story?" the Grimoire said. "I imagine so."

"If you want to talk with all those robots around, then be my guest," Kainé interrupted. "Just don't start crying like a little bitch when you get your asses handed to you."

Rude as always, but she had a point. It really wasn't the time or the place for this conversation.

Nier nodded in agreement, "Let's get out of here first, then we'll talk."

* * *

After delivering the sad news to Jakob and Gideon, they left the Junk Heap, settling high enough on the bridge that the other Shades shouldn't bother them.

The Shade tapped his fingers, gathering his thoughts, before finally starting to speak.

"He says that he is different from other Shades because he is stable," Weiss translated. "He has no idea why or how it happened, but he is the only Shade in existence that doesn't run the risk of relapsing. That's why he is so powerful and looks so solid."

"What about that whole 'Shadowlord' thing?" Nier asked.

"He says that his magic and the stable demonic element in his blood can help the Shades keep their sanity. He can't stop them from relapsing completely but he can delay it for a while. That's why the others treat him like this," Weiss was silent for a moment. "I suppose this demonic element is the reason for my strange reaction to your blood?" He listened to the Shade's answer, "Hmmm… Interesting. He says that the demonic element, also called 'maso', is what powers all magic, but the more stable it is, the more power it can give. That might explain a few things."

"I guess that's useful," Kainé said.

"He can feel the difference between sane and relapsed Shades, even from a distance," the Grimoire continued. "And if the relapsed Shades are not too far gone, he can give them orders, though the more hostile Shades, especially fused ones, are a lost cause."

The Shade paused and gave Kainé a hesitant look.

She scowled at him, "What?"

What he said next made her curl her hands into fists and Weiss to reel back and dip slightly in the air.

Nier looked worriedly between them, "What did he say?"

"Possession can increase a Shade's power tenfold, but it is strictly forbidden," Weiss said slowly. "Because the struggle between the two minds inevitably drives the Shade to relapsing and consuming its host."

Nier's eyes widened. Then Kainé…!

She scowled even more, "Just fucking figures…"

"Is there a way to get rid of it somehow?" Nier asked.

The Shade shook his head then shrugged, saying something.

"If there is, he doesn't know," Weiss translated.

Nier sighed, "Well… I guess it's just more incentive for us to find some way to stop the Shades from relapsing."

Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do about the situation at this moment.

Kainé crossed her arms, "Is there any other bullshit you wanna drop on us?"

The Shade shifted uncomfortably, his wings flaring up slightly then pressing to his back with visible effort.

"There are more things you should know," Weiss said, apparently trying a different mode of translation. "Just not now. I'll tell you later, I promise."

"And why the fuck not?" Kainé snapped. "At least tell us your damn name!"

The Shade shifted again, looking like he wanted to be anywhere rather than here.

"Remember what I told you about the Shades when we first met?" Weiss translated. "Well, this is just as big."

"And just as bad?" Nier guessed.

"No. It's worse."

Kainé scoffed, "Fine! Keep your fucking secrets, asshole!"

"As long as you eventually _tell us_ ," Weiss stressed.

The Shade nodded, though Nier could see how tightly his wings were pressed to his back. Whatever he was hiding, it certainly wasn't going to be pleasant.

* * *

They hit the road once again. Nier needed to restock on supplies and try to sell some of the materials they found in the Junk Heap.

He stopped a small distance away from the gates to his village, where the guards couldn't see them, and turned to his teammates, "Are you sure you want to stay outside?"

The Shade made a show of spreading his wings and looking at himself before giving Nier a dry look.

…Okay, point taken.

Kainé only waved her hand dismissively, "I told you already, I don't mind." She nodded at the Shade, "And if I get bored, this dumbass will be here too."

Nier frowned but nodded, accepting her decision even if he wasn't happy about it, "Then I'll see you later." He turned to leave then stopped and looked at the Shade, "I can't believe I almost forgot."

The Shade tilted his head in question.

"Should we call you 'Shadowlord' now?" Nier asked, sketching a bow. "…Your highness?"

The Shade reeled back, saying something that Nier was fairly sure was, 'Are you kidding me?!'

"Or you could just tell us your name," Weiss added, quickly catching on.

Nier grinned at his startled expression as Kainé made a sound suspiciously similar to laughter.

The Shade opened his mouth then closed it and sighed in resignation, throwing his hands in the air.


	17. And Then There Was One

**Chapter 17: And Then There Was One**

Oh, it just _figured_ that even something as innocuous as a letter from Yonah's maybe-friend would lead to trouble!

Weiss bristled inwardly as they looked through the old musty rooms of a probably haunted mansion, tired of waiting for the butler to come back. Even the amusement he gained from Nier's reaction to the possibility of his daughter having a boyfriend wasn't worth all this effort.

All of them felt out of place there, the magic permeating the building ancient and not exactly friendly. Nier and Kainé were tense and ready for battle, gripping their weapons. Weiss himself kept a few spells charged and ready to fly at a moment's notice. They even managed to convince the Shadowlord to come inside, though he still looked tense and incredibly out-of-place.

They made a strange group for sure, not that there was anyone around to see them.

* * *

"Famous, aren't we?" Weiss huffed, hearing the butler's explanation for writing the letter that brought their ragtag team to the mansion.

The strange man unsettled him greatly, especially his non-reaction to their colorful group. Was he a ghost, perhaps? Considering the circumstances, Weiss wasn't going to put anything out of the realm of possibility.

Nier being Nier, he immediately agreed to help find a cure for Emil, despite the warning that the library where it was located had some sort of malevolent entity within. The boy tagged along with them, insisting his petrification powers could be of help.

Weiss supposed they had to wait and see how useful he truly was in battle.

* * *

Weiss warily watched the blood-red book lift from the shelf with a mad cackle. Something scratched at the corner of his mind he could no longer access. Some long-forgotten memory…

His inconvenient amnesia was quickly sidelined when the book split off a dozen of its pages, using them like sharp-edged missiles.

Nier dodged the attack, sending a volley of magic blades at the book in retaliation, Weiss readily supplying the power. Emil lifted his blindfold, petrifying several pages, and they dropped to the ground, shattering into dust.

Kainé lunged with her swords, but the book dodged, floating out of her reach only for the Shadowlord to teleport behind it and slash across its back cover with his sword.

The book screeched, surrounding itself with a transparent barrier, impervious to both magic and weapons.

Weiss shuddered at the strange familiarity once again creeping into his mind and didn't dodge in time when the red book barreled right into him, knocking him into a wall.

"Gah!" Weiss dropped on the floor, dizzy from the impact.

The red book cackled again, dropping its shield and lunging at him. It forced his cover open and tore into his pages, its magic crawling over him. Weiss retaliated, knocking it away with a blast of raw power, but not before it ripped out several of his pages.

"Weiss! Are you alright?" Nier asked worriedly.

Weiss wobbled in the air, his spine stinging where the pages were torn from, "How dare this flying rag attack the great Grimoire Weiss!"

"Yeah, he's fine," Kainé snorted. "Same arrogant asshole as ever."

"I don't need to listen to a woman wearing nothing but undergarments!" Weiss snapped back.

The red book twirled lazily in the air, surrounding itself with another magical barrier and mockingly showing the stolen white pages attached between its own red ones.

Weiss seethed, feeling the loss of both the pages and the magic contained within them. That moth-eaten magazine had no idea who it trifled with!

He could feel his magic shift under the force of his anger, his ability to absorb blood changing and growing into something stronger.

If Weiss could smile, he would have.

"Take down the barrier and let me deal with that thing!" he yelled.

The others didn't need to be told twice, attacking the red book with magic and weapons. It screeched, rushing around the library in a vain attempt to both avoid the attacks and hit them back, but soon the barrier around it started to crack.

Weiss waited, gathering and shaping his magic, until the barrier shattered completely. Then he attacked, bright lightning tearing into the red book, making it scream in pain. It flailed wildly, barely able to stay afloat, its pages falling apart.

Weiss caught the torn pages with his magic, pulling them towards himself and forcing them to attach to his spine. They squirmed like worms on a hook, but Weiss was stronger, his will overcoming and shattering the link between the red book and its pages, allowing him to absorb their magic.

The red Grimoire shrieked and flailed, convulsing in the air and tearing itself apart in an explosion of magic and tattered paper.

Weiss froze. Then he screamed.

* * *

The world was nothing but endless expanse of white light. Just the two of them standing in the bright nothingness.

She looked just like he remembered. The same girl he saved from the Legion. The same girl who shielded him with her own body.

"It's been a while," she smiled sadly. "It's funny: you saved me and I saved you, yet here we are."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What for?"

For failing to save her, for wasting her sacrifice… For not recognizing her until it was too late.

"I never asked your name," he said instead.

"Does it matter now?" she replied. "I am Grimoire Rubrum and you are Grimoire Weiss. That's all there is to know." She took his hand in hers, her smile changing to something genuine, "But I'm glad we met again. Goodbye, Weiss... And thank you."

* * *

"…Weiss!"

He groaned, twitching weakly.

"Come on, Weiss, wake up!"

Ugh, so loud…

"Is he injured?"

"How would I know? He's a book!"

He twitched again, feeling someone open his cover.

"Maybe this will help?"

Something poured on his pages, warm and powerful and familiar.

Weiss shuddered and fluttered his pages, eagerly absorbing Shadowlord's blood, rich with demonic element. He snapped his cover closed and finally woke up fully.

He stared at the four concerned faces hovering above him and laughed, somehow feeling more alive than he ever did as a human.

* * *

 _A/N: This is based on one of the short stories for this verse_ And Then There Were None _. You can find it in_ Grimoire Nier _, but I'll go into more detail in the next chapter anyway._

 _Also, I'm half-convinced that the butler is an android. Or a ghost. Could be either._


	18. Tales of Old

**Chapter 18: Tales of Old**

There was more than enough space for their ragtag group in the mansion, so they chose one of the bigger rooms, settling around on the old furniture.

Nier frowned slightly in concern when Weiss abandoned his usual place above his left shoulder, instead standing vertically on the table.

"Are you sure you are alright?" he asked. Weiss almost never stopped floating.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, you big lug," Weiss grumbled. "Never felt better."

"You still look like shit," Kainé said bluntly.

Nier privately agreed. The Grimoire's silver cover was darkened with scorch marks and while the stolen pages were no longer red, turning the same white color as the rest, their edges looked rough and tattered.

"That book could've really hurt you," Emil said, wringing his hands in worry. "I'm so sorry you had to fight it."

"Well, I'm not," Weiss protested. "Fusing with Rubrum allowed me to obtain some of her power and knowledge."

"Wait, you knew that thing?!" Nier asked incredulously.

"…I did. I have her memories now and… they helped me regain some of my own."

The Shadowlord growled something in his incomprehensible language.

"No, not really," Weiss answered him, forgetting to translate for others. "This was only the third time we met, so that is all I remembered of my life. There is still too much I do not know."

"Must be some memory," Kainé said, crossing her arms. "Or do you always laugh like an idiot when you remember something?"

"Ah, Kainé," Weiss sighed. "Your lovely words are a balm to my soul... You hussy. Are you really that curious about this old tome?"

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Nier said immediately. "We don't care about your past. You are still our friend."

"And that's why I don't mind telling you," Weiss said. "But it is not a happy story."

"Either tell us or don't, I don't care," Kainé said. "Just stop dragging your nonexistent feet."

"Well, since you ask so nicely…"

* * *

 _Thirteen centuries ago two monsters fought above the world. Both were killed, but their essence remained, the unstable demonic element granting unimaginable power but poisoning everything it touched._

 _It infected people, killing some and driving others insane, turning them into mindless monsters. We called them Legion and this disease was given the name of White Chlorination Syndrome._

 _Does that sound familiar to you, Shadowlord? Hmmm… Then you must be as old as I am._

 _The disease was merciless and the world fell to ruin. The Legion grew, those monsters attacking everyone in sight-_

 _Yes, not unlike the relapsed Shades. Now, will you let me finish? …Thank you, Nier._

 _The world leaders grew desperate, their armies cut down far too quickly, and soon they decided to use child soldiers against the Legion._

 _I was one of them._

 _As you can imagine, it wasn't much of a life. We were thrown into battle after battle, dying by hundreds… So when a better offer came, I readily agreed. Oh, what a fool I was…_

 _No one asked your opinion, hussy, so you are welcome to shut up._

 _There were thirteen of us, gathered in an empty room with blank books at our feet. All of us made that deal with the devil._

 _I didn't know anyone there, except for Rubrum._

 _Of course it wasn't her real name! Don't be daft. …No, I don't know what it was. I cannot remember my own name, why would I know hers?_

 _I've met her before, you know… A chance encounter in one of the many battles against the Legion. I saved her life... Not that I cared about her, of course, but still she remembered me._

 _Then the announcement came. We were to fight and kill each other, until only two of us remained._

 _Naturally, I wanted those two to be Rubrum and I, not that I had any say in the matter. The others… somehow, one of them used her book, this Grimoire to attack with magic. But she got distracted and was swiftly killed, her body sucked into her book._

 _…I'm sure you can see where this is going._

 _I had no idea what to do, mostly trying to stay away while the others fought, when Rubrum knocked me down, a spear through her chest that was meant for me. Then there were more spears, killing everyone, until only two of us remained. I, having managed to somehow raise a magic barrier, and the killer._

 _…They lied to us, of course. They never meant to let us go._

 _We were consumed too, absorbed into black and white._

 _Grimoire Noir and Grimoire Weiss._

 _Just tools for them to use._

* * *

Everyone was quiet when Weiss finished his tale.

The Grimoire floated up, ruffling his pages and huffing irritably, "Is this a funeral? Do lighten up. Nothing has changed."

But it did. It was so strange to think Weiss was human once…

"At any rate," Weiss continued, "Rubrum's memories gave me a clue to your little petrification problem, Emil."

"Really?" the boy asked hopefully.

"Indeed. The memories aren't properly integrated yet, but I know that there is a research laboratory beneath this mansion. It might contain the answers you seek."

"We'll help you search," Nier offered immediately.

"Thank you!" Emil said. The poor boy sounded ready to cry, "Thank you so much!"

"It might be better to start tomorrow," Weiss said. "It has been quite a day."

"You can stay here and rest if you want," Emil offered. "It's the least I can do."

* * *

Nier couldn't sleep, staring at the ceiling of his appointed room. His gaze slid to Weiss, the Grimoire staying at his side as always.

It bothered him far more than he expected.

"Weiss?" he called quietly.

"Why are you still awake?" the Grimoire grumbled.

"…Does it bother you?"

"You being obtuse and irritating?" Weiss questioned. "Unfortunately, I am starting to get used to this. Oh, the people I have to deal with…"

"No, I mean… I'm using you for your magic, just like those who turned you into a Grimoire did."

"…You are an idiot," Weiss said flatly. "An aggressively friendly and well-meaning one, but an idiot nonetheless. Listen closely, because I am only going to say this once: I might not remember much of my human life, but I do know that becoming a Grimoire didn't make much of a difference. So go to sleep already and don't you dare think for a single second that I would ever regret our meeting."


	19. Truth Hurts

**Chapter 19: Truth Hurts**

The next day everyone gathered around the table for breakfast, trying to wake up.

Weiss hovered near the Shadowlord, neither of them needing food.

"How are you feeling?" the Shade asked.

"I said I am fine," Weiss grumbled. "Honestly…"

"Have you remembered anything else?"

"Are you interested in anything in particular?" Weiss prompted.

The Shadowlord was silent, picking at the edge of his wing. "Grimoire Noir," he said finally. "What happened to it?"

"That I cannot tell you," Weiss replied. "I only know of an old legend about the black book that brought chaos to the world. Why the sudden interest? Do you know something about Noir, perhaps?"

The Shade slowly exhaled and nodded, as if coming to a decision, "I do. I've seen Grimoire Noir before. Or, at least, its copy. But I don't know if it still exists."

"How did _that_ happen?" Weiss asked incredulously.

"…Will you translate for others?" the Shadowlord sighed heavily once Weiss got everyone's attention. "I think it's time I told you more about the Shades. Tell me, Weiss, do the words 'Project Gestalt' mean anything to you?"

Weiss stumbled mid-translation, a sudden flare of memories searing his mind.

"I'll take that as a yes," the Shade said.

"Weiss? What's wrong?" Nier asked worriedly.

"The Shades…" Weiss whispered. "Gestalts… They are human."

* * *

It took a while for everyone to settle down, this new revelation knocking the ground from under their feet.

"Project Gestalt…" Weiss said slowly. "It was an attempt to combat White Chlorination Syndrome. Human souls were ripped from their bodies and turned into Gestalts. _Shades_."

"It didn't work," the Shadowlord said, Weiss translating for him as usual. "The first Gestalts were unstable, losing their minds and attacking everyone in sight. But the experiments didn't stop. They lured people in with promises of food and shelter but instead gave them the copies of Grimoire Noir. I have seen everyone who touched the black book turn into mindless monsters, so I took my daughter and ran. …I don't know why I kept my copy of the book. It kept whispering to me, promising power…"

"You used it?" Nier asked.

The Shadowlord nodded tiredly, "We were attacked, cornered with nowhere to run. I couldn't fight off so many Gestalts at once... I couldn't let them hurt my daughter. So I used the black book. It saved me, it cursed me… It turned me into what I am now. Still, I was lucky. I don't know what made me different, but unlike other Gestalts, I was stable. And much more powerful. If only that was all…"

The Shade smiled bitterly, "My daughter wanted to help me, so she touched the black book too. She had always been fragile, getting ill so easily… She immediately began to relapse. I didn't know what to do, didn't know how to stop it…" He paused and dragged a hand down his face, "They kept tabs on us, those same people who gave us these books. They offered me a deal: they would put my daughter into stasis, until the day came when she could be cured, and in return I had to supply my blood so that they could use the stable demonic element in it. …What else could I do but agree?"

"I take it, that didn't work," Weiss said flatly.

"It worked for _them_ well enough. My blood stabilized other Gestalts, allowing them to stay sane much longer. It powered up the stasis pods for centuries, keeping everyone asleep until White Chlorination was no longer an issue… but they didn't keep their part of the bargain, perfectly content to just bleed me dry. They never intended to help my daughter, so I took her stasis pod and escaped. I have been searching for a way to stop her from relapsing fully… And that was when I met you."

Everyone was quiet, trying to digest the information.

"…Is this all?" Kainé asked slowly. "Because I've had enough of all those fucking revelations. I'm going to strangle whoever speaks next."

The Shadowlord only laughed weakly and raised his hands in surrender.

* * *

"He hasn't told us everything, I'm sure of that," Weiss murmured quietly.

Nier paused for a second then continued checking the supplies, "You mean the Shadowlord?"

Weiss tilted the upper edge of his cover, mimicking a nod, "There are still things I cannot remember. Important things that he isn't telling us."

"Yet," Nier stressed. "That he isn't telling us _yet_. He promised to tell us everything, so I'm going to wait until he is ready. Besides, Kainé is right. There have been far too many revelations already."

"What, your feeble human mind cannot cope with so much information?" Weiss gloated.

Nier grinned, "Remind me again, which one of us actually fainted? And aren't you technically human as well?"

"Hmph!" If Weiss still had arms, he definitely would've crossed them.

Nier looked around, "Is everyone ready?" Hearing an affirmative chorus, he nodded, "Then let's go."

* * *

They descended the stairs into the long-abandoned laboratory that somehow survived through the centuries.

"Shades…" the Shadowlord growled, arching his wings and flaring his dark aura. "A lot of them…"

Nier tensed, "Can you make them leave?"

The Shadowlord shook his head, "No. They are too far gone."

"If they no longer even react to his presence, there is no possible way you can reason with them," Weiss added, after translating his words. "They are nothing but monsters now, just like the Legion."

They were the first to leap into battle, even Kainé hesitating in the beginning.

The fight ended quickly, the fallen Shades (Gestalts?) dissolving into nothingness, and Weiss absorbed their blood into his pages. So that was why they bled red…

"Does it really affect you this much?" the Shadowlord asked quietly.

Nier frowned, "I… didn't know it would be so hard. I keep thinking…"

He shook his head and looked away.

"It is so much easier to kill monsters rather than _people_ , isn't it?" Weiss mused. "But hesitation will get you killed. Not every conflict can be resolved peacefully."

"…Would it be different if you didn't know they used to be human?" the Shadowlord asked.

Nier froze, "…I want to say 'no'. I already knew that your kind is intelligent, so it shouldn't matter… But it still does."

"You're trying to break through a lifetime of misconceptions. There are bound to be some problems," Weiss said. He turned to the Shadowlord, "Is this why you didn't tell us all of this upon our first meeting?"

He nodded, "I didn't want to overwhelm you. There are more things I haven't told you yet but… Maybe by the time I have to, they will no longer matter."

"There is no hurry. I trust you," Nier assured. "Though I do wish I knew your name."

The Shadowlord turned away, hunching over and wrapping his wings around himself, "…You don't. You really, really don't."


	20. You Are Not Alone

**Chapter 20: You Are Not Alone**

This place was so familiar… Emil winced and rubbed his temples as another flash of memories raced through his mind. He'd been there before, he just knew it…

"Emil, are you alright?" Nier asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry!" he quickly replied. Emil could hear the others waiting ahead, the minute shifts and movements easy for him to discern. He ran towards them, "Sorry for making you wait."

They moved deeper underground, always pausing to wait for Emil to catch up. His head still hurt and he felt both guilty and annoyed at Sebastian for dragging others into his problems, but it was so nice to have people willing to talk to him, _help_ him, despite his powers…

He couldn't remember the last time anyone other than Sebastian was so nice to him. Did he ever have friends before? He couldn't remember. It was always just him and Sebastian and the statues of his victims.

Emil winced again as an image of someone appeared in his mind. She was… so familiar… He felt like he should know her…

Distant growls dragged him back to the present. Emil lifted his blindfold slightly and one of the attacking Shades froze, its translucent body solidifying into grey stone.

He felt slightly sick. The Shades used to be _human_ , not just monsters… But he didn't want them to hurt his new friends either. They were dangerous and deadly, so if there was no way to help the Shades _(if there was no way to remove his curse)_ , wasn't it better to just-

"Keep your head in the game, kid," Kainé said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"We can stop if you want to," Nier offered.

Emil shook his head, "No, it's fine. We've already got this far."

He had already dragged his new friends into this, so the least he could do was not be a burden.

…Did he even have a right to call them his friends? They've only just met… And what would happen when this was over? If he really managed to get rid of his powers _(or found out there was nothing to be done)_? Would they just leave and forget about him?

…He didn't want to be alone.

* * *

The headaches were getting worse. Every scrap of paper, every ancient document they found caused his memories to claw at the insides of his skull. Project Snow White, experimental weapons… Nothing made sense! Just what _was_ he?!

"You are just a kid," Kainé said. "That's all."

"Am I? Am I really? I'm some sort of a weapon!"

"Your past makes no difference to us," Nier said.

"Besides, you would hardly be the first member of our merry band to have issues," Weiss added.

Emil smiled weakly, feeling a little calmer. Weiss was right: compared to what he learned about Shades and Grimoires, this wasn't that bad.

The Shadowlord draped one wing over his shoulders and said something, Weiss translating for him, "We are almost finished here. Can you hold on for this long?"

Emil nodded, "It's fine. Let's go."

* * *

He couldn't see the metal spikes driven into the wall. He couldn't see the chains crisscrossing his sister's skeletal body. He couldn't see her unchanging grin or the red glow of her eyes but he didn't need to.

He remembered now. He remembered everything.

"We used to be humans. Normal humans. Just a bunch of regular human kids like you'd see anywhere."

It felt so easy to say this, as if it wasn't even him talking. As if his memories were given a voice of their own.

It was a dream and Emil was sleepwalking, telling the tale of the perfect weapon – Number 6, Halua, _his sister_ – and himself, Number 7, the one created to defeat her.

He could hear her growl and shift against the wall she was pinned to. He wanted to think it was his voice that woke her up. He wanted to think that she still remembered him.

"My sister is the greatest weapon ever made. With her power, I could eradicate my petrification curse."

He didn't understand how he knew it, but the words rang true to his ears. The world felt distant and unreal as his sister struggled to break free.

He knew what was going to happen.

"Can you promise me one thing?"

Who was he asking? His friends? Halua? Himself?

"Don't let us hurt anyone. And if you can't stop us…"

The last chain snapped and his sister jumped down.

"Then kill us."

Her jaws snapped closed around him and there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

She was there, waiting for him in this world filled with light.

"Halua..." Emil reached towards her. "My sister…"

He was so glad to see her again…

Emil forced himself to move, struggling to sit up. He pulled his sister into a hug, feeling tears slide down his face, "I love you, Halua. And I'm so sorry I forgot you."

"Emil…" she whispered, wrapping her arms around him.

He tried to hold on as the light faded, this world falling apart, "I swear, I'll never forget you again!"

"Emil… I love you…"

* * *

The world was darkness and energy and metallic taste of magic.

"Emil?" someone called.

"I'm still alive!" he cried. "It's working!"

The power flowed around him, sinking into his bones. He could feel it shifting inside him, filling him, _changing_ him… His curse was fading, a different kind of power replacing it.

He felt so strange, his body too light and oddly numb, but he could control his abilities now! He could _see_ …!

…What was wrong with his hands? And his face?

No… No, no, no! What happened to his body?! This wasn't what he wanted!

The floor was shaking or maybe that was just him. Someone touched his shoulder and Emil flinched before looking up at Nier.

"Welcome back, Emil," he said, drawing him closer.

Emil wanted to cry, but he couldn't, not with this body. He could only wrap his arms around Nier and hold on.

"I hate it," Emil whispered. "I don't want to be like this…"

"What did I tell you?" Kainé said, resting her hand on his shoulder. "You're just Emil to us."

"You are not even particularly strange, compared to the rest of us," Weiss added.

Emil flinched, feeling a stab of guilt. What was he doing, breaking down like this, when other people had it so much worse than him?

The Shadowlord growled, brushing his back with the tip of his wing.

"This isn't a competition," Weiss translated. "You don't have to feel guilty."

Emil winced. Did he say it out loud?

"And might I add," the Grimoire continued, "That your feelings are no less valid merely because someone went through a similar ordeal."

"Hell, we're all a bunch of freaks here!" Kainé laughed. "You'll fit right in!"

"Indeed you will," Weiss agreed. "After all, the only one of us to qualify as normal human is Nier and even that is debatable, considering his soul pact with me. So really, don't worry about it."

Emil wanted to cry again. What did he ever do to deserve such good friends?

* * *

 _A/N: Don't you just love irony? Basically, at this point everyone assumes that Replicants are the descendants of humans that managed to avoid White Chlorination._

 _From what I understand, 'soul pact' is a_ Drakengard _term, though I'm not sure how well it applies to Nier and Weiss. Eh, whatever._


	21. Silver Lining

**Chapter 21: Silver Lining**

They stayed in the mansion for the rest of the day, trying to decide where to go next. Emil didn't pay much attention to the discussion: he was just happy to get outside and help his friends (and happy that they _remained_ his friends).

He didn't feel so bad about his transformation anymore, if a bit embarrassed about his earlier breakdown. Sure, he looked awful now, but his friends didn't care about it. And it was so nice to be able to see without fear of hurting anyone.

Emil didn't even realize how scared his petrification curse made him feel until he no longer had it. And his new powers were way better! He could fly now and create shields and magic blasts, and there was probably a lot of other spells he could learn.

Even his new body wasn't all that bad. It was a lot tougher and stronger than his old one, so now his friends didn't have to worry about protecting him! He just wished it didn't look so scary… But at least Sebastian promised to look through the documents from the lab. Maybe he would find a way to reverse this transformation… Or maybe they would find something in their travels. And Weiss might remember something too…

Oh!

"Weiss?" Emil called.

"Hmmm?" the Grimoire turned towards him, distracted from his bickering with Kainé.

"Do you think-" Emil hesitated a bit then continued. "Could you become human again?"

Weiss reeled back slightly, "Me? I- I haven't even thought about it…" He shuffled his pages, shifting from side to side, "I'm not sure I would want to, even if I could. I barely remember being human. Besides, legs are overrated."

"Don't knock it till you've tried it," Kainé snorted.

Weiss ignored her, floating closer to Emil, "Let's find a way to transform you back to human form first, then you can worry about me."

* * *

They hit the road on the next day, Emil following his friends without any idea of where exactly they were going.

He looked around, trying not to get distracted, but it was so hard! The world was just so beautiful! He flitted back and forth, pausing to look at the trees and flowers or float up the side of a cliff.

He was just so glad he could see all of this!

Emil let out an embarrassed giggle when Kainé scaled the cliff and dragged him down to the rest of the group, "Sorry! I got a bit distracted."

"It's fine," Nier said. "Don't worry about it."

"But do keep your head in the game," Weiss chided.

Emil rubbed the back of his skull in embarrassment, "I will, I promise! Where are we going anyway?"

The Shadowlord started speaking, Weiss translating for him, "I have found some sort of a hidden facility nearby. I'm not sure what it is, so I don't know if there's anything useful inside. I didn't have the time to search it: got a bit distracted by a giant relapsed monster."

"Was that the one we fought together?" Nier asked.

The Shadowlord nodded.

"Fun times, fun times," Kainé grinned.

"That is not the way I would describe it," Weiss huffed.

"That's because you wouldn't know fun if it bit you in the back cover," she snorted.

"Wow… You had so many adventures!" His friends were amazing! "Can you tell me more?"

"Sure thing, kid. What do you wanna know?"

* * *

The stories were a fun way to pass the time, but their destination didn't seem to get any closer. They settled under a small group of trees for a bit of a break.

"Just where the hell is this lab?" Kainé grumbled and elbowed the Shadowlord. "You said it was close! Did you get fucking lost?!"

The Shade (Gestalt?) looked away, muttering something.

"It _was_ close," Weiss translated. "For me. I didn't think walking is _that_ much slower than flying."

"I fucking hate you," Kainé groaned. "Just for this, you are on hunting duty today. I don't care that you don't need food yourself!"

The Gestalt laughed and nodded, rising into the air.

* * *

Finding some kindling wasn't hard and soon they had a fire going. Emil stretched his legs, his toes nearly touching the flames. His body was a lot more resilient now, so it didn't hurt, just felt warm.

…He had to keep looking on the bright side.

"I doubt that your feet are particularly edible," Weiss said. "Though it does make me glad I no longer require something as mundane as food."

"What about you, Emil?" Nier asked. "Do you still need to eat?"

"I don't- know? I don't feel hungry…" Even though he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday.

"Gestalts and Grimoires are sustained by magic," Weiss said. "You might be the same. But you do still require sleep, if only to recharge the demonic element within you."

Emil nodded, "I'm kinda glad. What would I do with all this spare time anyway if I didn't need to sleep?"

"I'm sure you would have found something to occupy yourself with," the Grimoire said. "Now, when exactly is our resident royalty for the delusional going to return?"

"More like royal pain in the ass," Kainé scoffed. "How the fuck would I know?"

Of course, the Shadowlord chose that particular moment to drop from the sky.

"Speak of the devil…" Weiss muttered.

"Hey! Where the fuck is our food?!" Kainé snapped, seeing him barehanded.

The Shadowlord reached into the thin air, magic shifting around him, and pulled out a hind leg of a deer.

Emil gasped, "This is so cool! Can you teach me how to do this?!"

The Gestalt nodded and gave the leg to Kainé.

"Nice. You don't see a lot of deer around here. Usually it's just sheep," Kainé said, placing the meat over the fire. "I guess you're useful for something after all."

The Shadowlord bowed mockingly and gave Nier the other leg.

"As long as I don't have to fish, I don't really care," Nier laughed. "Thanks."

"Hmph!" Weiss snapped his cover open, loudly shuffling his pages, then closed it.

Nier looked at him incredulously, "Are you _still_ angry that I hit you with that sardine?"

Weiss rose higher into the air, "You are a menace and a threat to society!"

Kainé doubled over laughing, "Wow, you both suck so much!"

The Shadowlord sat down and took out more pieces of venison, settling them over the fire. He grinned, saying something that Weiss refused to translate.

"So _that's_ how you defeat the oh-so-great Grimoire Weiss," Kainé managed to choke out through her laughter. "It sure is nice that we haven't met any fish in battle."

"I thought you didn't want to be a translator!" Weiss yelped, dropping half a foot down.

"I can make exceptions!"

The Shadowlord leaned forward and said something again.

Kainé gave him a thumbs up, "You got that right."

Emil giggled slightly and closed his eyes, letting the sound of laughter and crackling fire wash over him. He felt warm and light, like all his worries and fears fell away.

Was this what happiness felt like?


	22. Dead End

**Chapter 22: Dead End**

Eventually, they reached their destination. The entrance to the facility was really well-hidden, so high up the mountain that Emil really doubted that anyone who couldn't fly would've found it.

There weren't many Gestalts inside (Emil wondered how they managed to get in, but he supposed that being so tall probably helped) and none of them were crazy, letting them pass through after the Shadowlord talked to them for a bit. It was still so weird to think that they used to be human too, just like everyone else.

They really weren't all that different from him.

Well, he liked being himself more. At least the sunlight didn't hurt him! And his new body was really strong!

Emil curiously looked around as they descended to the deepest level of the facility. It looked a lot like the research lab underneath his home, but it was so empty, not even Gestalts lived there anymore. They were probably the first people who had been there in centuries!

…Was he this old too? It was so weird… Emil didn't feel like he was a thousand years old. He certainly hadn't been living that long in the mansion! Maybe he was frozen in stasis too? He kinda remembered something like that…

They spread out a little, looking through the ancient equipment in search of anything useful. Emil picked up a few scraps of paper and stared at them in confusion. The writing on them was completely incomprehensible! He could understand maybe three or four words and the rest of them was some horrible scientific jargon. And what was that strange symbol in the corner? It looked kinda like a snake wrapped around a stick...

"Weiss!" he called, waving the papers in the air. "Can you read this?"

"Of course I can!" the Grimoire huffed, floating towards him, the others drawing closer as well. "I am the keeper of the ancient knowledge!"

"And an amnesiac," Nier added.

"…I am the most underappreciated being in existence."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," Kainé scoffed.

"Did you just say something that wasn't a swear word, hussy?" Weiss asked distractedly, his attention on the documents Emil held up for him. "We should celebrate such rare occasion."

"What do the documents say?" Nier interrupted, before the two descended into another verbal fight.

"We appear to be in luck. Judging by the symbol, this facility was used for medical research," Weiss replied. "Let us hope we can find something useful here."

They kept searching, opening or breaking the doors into long-abandoned dusty rooms. Both Weiss and the Shadowlord insisted there was something magical around, even if they couldn't tell where exactly.

Actually… Emil could feel something too. His new powers were really a lot more useful than petrification!

After a lot more searching they finally found a hidden door. Behind it was something like a storage room, and inside it was a purple book lying on the table. There was magic radiating from the book and its metal cover had a slightly serpentine face on the front.

Was it a Grimoire?

"Porphura," Weiss said. "I don't know what their real name was, but they are Grimoire Porphura now."

The book didn't seem to react to their presence and Weiss slowly floated closer.

"Porphura?" he called quietly. "Can you hear me?"

The purple cover twitched, the pages rustling slightly, but the Grimoire remained in place.

"Are they damaged?" Emil asked.

"Makes your job easier," Kainé said. "Just rip out their pages already."

Porphura lurched into the air, their cover snapping open, as if reacting to her words. Everyone immediately shifted into battle stances, but the Grimoire didn't attack, instead falling down on the table, their cover still open and pages rustling weakly.

"Can you understand me?" Weiss called, floating above the purple Grimoire. "…Porphura?"

The purple pages rustled, then slowly one of them detached from the metal spine. It wobbled in the air then fell down. Weiss opened his own cover, glowing slightly with magic, and the page floated towards him, attaching to his spine.

Porphura rustled their pages again, several more detaching. Weiss caught them too, drawing the pages into his cover, purple settling between white.

The purple Grimoire lost more and more of their pages until there were none left and the metal cover crumbled into dust.

Weiss shuddered and the purple pages inside him changed color to the usual white.

"He… didn't want to exist," Weiss said quietly. "I think… I think on some level Porphura knew that he was already dead. He just..." The Grimoire shuffled his pages and closed his cover, "Anyway, Porphura specialized in healing. Unfortunately, he mostly dealt with physical issues, not magical."

Nier sighed heavily, "It's fine. We'll just keep searching."

"Let's go back to the village," Weiss said, sounding normal again. "I might not know how to cure Black Scrawl yet, but I should be able to at least alleviate the symptoms."

After a quick search through the rest of the lab they did just that.

"Can you show me how the healing spell works?" Emil asked on the way back to the surface. "It seems really useful!"

Weiss readily agreed, using the time it took them to get out of the facility to show him the basics. It was really easy actually! Way easier than the magic pockets (Emil still couldn't quite get the hang on taking out only the things he needed and not everything at once). Emil might've even figured out the healing spell himself. He just had to pour his magic into the injuries and it made them heal faster. Sure, the spell wasn't very strong and it only worked on wounds that could've healed on their own, if much slower, but it was still pretty neat.

His attack spells weren't really strong, so Emil was glad to have other useful abilities. Healing, shields, magic pockets… He wondered what else he could do. He should experiment with his powers more: he really liked his magic! If only it didn't change his body… But it was fine. He waited for so long to get rid of his petrification powers, he could wait a bit more. As long as he was with friends, he really didn't mind.

* * *

 _A/N: Thirteen centuries is a really freaking long time. So let's just say that Emil was frozen for most of that time too._

 _Other Grimoires are only given names in the early drafts and none of these names seem particularly fitting, so I decided to continue with the color theme instead. 'Porphura' means 'purple' in Greek._


	23. Dark Whispers

**Chapter 23: Dark Whispers**

Nier, being as stupidly nice as ever, made the usual invitation at the gates of his village but Kainé waved him off again. She'd rather stay outside with Emil and the Shadowlord. Other people didn't like her and she didn't like other people.

It was fine.

It was.

 _It was._

"What's the matter, Sunshine?" a familiar and unwelcome voice whispered in her mind. "Don't tell me you are feeling _sad_."

"Shut up," she muttered under her breath, making sure no one could hear her. She didn't want the others to think she was even more of a freak than she already was.

"Oh, but I know how to make you feel better!" Tyrann continued. "Why don't we take him up on his offer? Come to the village, talk to the people… Then skin them alive and burn this place to the ground!"

"Fuck off, asshole," Kainé growled, the mad cackle inside her brain driving her up the wall. "I'm in control."

"For now, Sunshine. _For now_."

* * *

They settled close to the gates, camping out under a stone overhang that gave them some shelter from sunlight. The Shadowlord (and really, that name was fucking stupid, which was kinda the point) immediately hid in the shadows, grumbling about the sun and not enough clouds.

Kainé still didn't really know what to think about the guy. On one hand, his insistence on keeping his secrets was annoying as hell. On the other hand, he pulled his weight in a fight and didn't talk too much. Besides, his mere presence, especially whenever he flared his aura, was enough to make Tyrann nervous. Of course, he denied it, but Kainé knew him well enough to notice a lie.

A similar feeling of almost-fear was caused by Weiss of all people. Her own opinion about the loudmouth book tended to vary, leaning towards 'less of an asshole than she thought at first but still fucking irritating', but she couldn't deny that the Grimoire was powerful, especially if he continued devouring his own kind. Together Weiss and the Shadowlord might just find a way to exorcise Tyrann and he knew it.

Kainé hid that formless hope, lest he noticed it, and turned her attention to Emil. How the kid managed to stay so kind and optimistic after all the shit that happened to him was a mystery, but Kainé was determined to keep it that way. There were too few truly good things in this rotten world.

Kainé hid that thought as well. She wasn't in the mood to hear Tyrann's threats and taunts.

She stared into the campfire, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Her skin itched with restlessness, grating on her nerves, Tyrann's presence a toxic weight inside her.

She needed to get out of there.

Kainé stood up and grabbed her swords, "I'm going to get some food."

"I can help!" Emil offered.

Kainé waved him off, "It's fine. Keep the fire going, you two. Maybe get more kindling: what we have now won't last till tomorrow."

She left quickly, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as the distance grew. She really needed some time alone: the constant company of others might be nice at times, but she wasn't really used to it and right now she was reaching the end of her rope.

"Why are you running, Sunshine?" Tyrann laughed, his voice as unwelcome as always. "Afraid I'm going to do something to your precious friends?"

Kainé stumbled slightly and growled under her breath, blocking his attempts to take control, "Don't you fucking dare, you prick!"

"Did I hit a nerve here?" he sneered. "Do I need to remind you what's gonna happen if you go soft? This body will be mine!"

Kainé snarled and pushed him down with all her hatred, "Not on my fucking watch!"

"Now that's more like it!" Tyrann laughed. "Keep hating, keep killing, and we won't have any problem!" He retreated to the depths of her mind with one last whisper, "One way or another, I win."

Kainé shivered, the silence bringing no comfort. It didn't matter that she had won this battle, because the war still continued.

The recent revelations about Shades, Gestalts didn't change anything. Former human or not, Tyrann was still a murderous psycho who was going to sooner or later go off the deep end completely.

And Kainé knew firsthand how horrible humans could be.

She had to find a way to get rid of him. Until then, she would do everything in her power to keep him at bay.

* * *

"Welcome back!" Emil called when Kainé returned, carrying a lamb carcass on one shoulder. She dropped it at some distance from the campfire and began cutting it into pieces.

The Shadowlord raised his hand in greeting and made a distracted noise, too busy scribbling on a piece of paper with a stub of a crayon. There was plenty of other sheets of paper scattered around.

"Do you need more paper?" Kainé asked. How did he not run out of them yet?

"Probably," the Shadowlord replied. He raised his head and smirked, "Of course, you can always translate for me."

"Do I look like that stuffy old magazine?" Kainé scoffed. Sure, if it was a life or death situation (or if it could annoy Weiss), she'd suck it up and be a translator, but she didn't want to do additional work for anything less. "What the hell did you two spend so much time talking about?"

"Magic!" Emil replied. "I'm trying to learn teleportation. It seems really useful but it's also really complicated. And it needs a lot of energy too."

"You're a smart kid," Kainé reassured. "You learned healing and you learned how to use those magic pockets, so you'll learn this too."

Emil would've probably blushed if he still could. Instead he hid his face in his scarf, "Thanks, Kainé…"

The Shadowlord wrapped one wing around him and showed him the paper.

"Oh, this makes sense…" Emil mumbled, reading through whatever it was and snuggling closer to the Gestalt.

Kainé turned her attention back to her dinner, tuning out the one-sided discussion of magical theory. She wasn't interested in talking, but right now it was nice to have someone nearby.

It felt good to be accepted, treated like a _person_ rather than a freak…

The villagers could go to hell: this was where she belonged.


	24. A Step Forward

**Chapter 24: A Step Forward**

Nier didn't manage to get much sleep until Emil, who had the first watch, woke him up but he hardly needed to. It was mostly a way for him to recharge the demonic element in his blood, but he didn't use a lot of magic since the fight with Halua anyway, so a few hours were more than enough.

Nier reached into the pile of dry branches he and Emil had gathered in the evening and threw them into the fire. Might as well keep it going, even if it was warm enough without it and they were going to move out in the morning anyway.

He looked up at the always bright sky. It was funny: he kept thinking in terms of 'evening' and 'morning', even in this world of endless daylight, but he supposed some habits were hard to get rid of.

The time dragged on as Kainé and Emil slept unaware. Nier felt strangely at peace: no enemies to fight, no worries about the future plaguing his thoughts…

All he needed to do was wait.

* * *

Nier should've known that the strange calm wouldn't last long, familiar restlessness creeping beneath his skin. At least it was already the end of his watch.

He didn't need to shake Kainé awake: she woke up on his approach. She stretched and shifted closer to the fire, mumbling something that was probably a greeting.

Nier looked up at the clouded sky. He had a few hours to spare until the designated 'morning' arrived.

"Kainé?" he called.

"Mmm?"

"I'm leaving for a couple of hours. I want to check on my daughter."

Kainé yawned and waved her hand, "Sure, whatever. Just don't take too long."

Nier nodded and spread his wings, taking flight.

* * *

The rush of wind helped him clear his head. Nier angled his flight closer to the mountainside, just in case the weather decided to screw him over, but the cloud cover didn't seem to be dissipating.

He kept his aura suppressed as much as he could. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but he didn't want to announce his presence either, the old paranoia rearing its ugly head.

He couldn't risk anyone finding his daughter.

Once he was close enough, Nier gathered his magic and teleported into the cave system beneath the mountain. He blinked a few times, his sight adjusting to the darkness, and pressed his hand to the smooth side of the stasis pod.

"Hello, Yonah."

Adding more fuel to the generator was a matter of minutes, but Nier didn't leave immediately. Instead he settled down with his back to the wall and continued talking, "I've made some friends, believe it or not. Remember, how I told you about the team I joined? They are strange, even by our standards, but they are all good people. We're travelling together, and even if we aren't really getting anywhere in our search for the cure, it's not like we're wasting time either. We're still helping people."

Nier wondered if Yonah could hear him. Probably not, but talking to her made him feel like she could. As if this was normal sleep and not a last-ditch effort to save her from madness.

"I still can barely believe how welcoming and accepting they were so far. It gives me hope that they'll accept the rest too."

He had to tell them the truth eventually. He didn't want to, but he couldn't avoid it forever either. This information was too important to conceal.

Just not now.

He would wait until they trusted him more _(they trusted him already, but it was so much easier to stay silent)_. If- _when_ they made some progress on preventing relapsing and Black Scrawl, he would have to tell them about Replicants and Project Noir _(once his guilt outweighed his fear)_.

* * *

On the way back Nier flew closer to the ground, stretching his senses in search of relapsed Gestalts. Just because he was part of a team now didn't mean he could shirk his responsibilities. He briefly wondered when exactly it became _his responsibility_ , but he supposed if he continued using his status as the Shadowlord to his benefit, it was only fair to give something back.

He noticed a few Gestalts here and there but they didn't seem to be doing much of anything, so Nier ignored them. Of course, just when he thought that everything was fine and he would get back without any incident, he felt Gestalts and Replicants in close proximity to each other.

Nier cursed under his breath and teleported in their direction, hoping he could stop the fight before anyone got killed. He reappeared on a stone ledge on the side of the mountain and looked down, quickly assessing the situation.

He blinked and stared, barely able to believe his eyes.

There was no fight.

He could see two small groups of Gestalts and Replicants, armed and tense but not attacking each other. Instead they seemed to be… trying to communicate?

Nier dampened his aura even further and pressed himself to the ledge, staying silent as he kept watching. One of the Gestalts slowly walked forward, leaving something on the ground between the two groups and backing off. One of the Replicants carefully picked up the object and quickly returned to the rest of their group too.

The atmosphere became a fraction less tense and the two groups slowly backed away from each other. Once the distance between them was large enough, they went on their way in the opposite directions, even if they never turned their backs on each other.

Nier let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. This… This was a _miracle_ , he didn't know what else to call it. Just this once, Gestalts and Replicants weren't fighting, weren't trying to kill each other…

Nier felt lightheaded, realizing what it meant. Maybe all the time he spent trying to convince the other Gestalts to stop fighting wasn't in vain. Maybe peace between them wasn't just a pipe dream.

For once, he dared to hope that things would get better.


	25. Once More unto the Breach

**Chapter 25: Once More unto the Breach**

Nier and Weiss returned in the morning looking much cheerier.

"You're early," Kainé said as she held the cold meat over the fire. "It worked, I take it?" she asked.

Nier smiled, "Yonah is feeling much better now. I can't remember the last time I saw her so full of energy."

"That's really good," Emil said. "I'm glad."

Kainé nodded in agreement. She never met Yonah but Nier loved her and no child deserved to suffer from Black Scrawl.

"Did you eat already?" she asked. "I have some lamb here."

"Thank you," Nier replied, taking a piece of meat. "I didn't have anything for breakfast."

"Yonah decided to use her newfound energy for cooking," Weiss explained. "So he ran for the hills."

Nier winced, "Yonah only wanted to help, really…"

"But you still value your health," Weiss added. A glare from Nier made him switch topics, "And where exactly is the Shadowlord?"

"He'll be back soon. He wanted to check on his kid too."

Nier nodded, "I understand."

He probably did. They had a lot in common: both were single fathers, both had ill children… Kainé frowned slightly. Both of them could use magic… They even looked somewhat alike…

"We should prepare to move out once he returns," Weiss interjected, making her lose her train of thought. "I have determined our next destination, though we will no doubt get derailed by some unimportant task Nier chose to saddle himself with."

Emil tilted his head, "What do you mean?"

"He is the local dumbass for hire," Kainé explained.

"No task is beneath him: hunting lizards, gathering junk, herding chickens…" Weiss added.

Nier rolled his eyes, "Oh, laugh it up, you two. I get paid for it, so I don't care."

"So where are we going next, Weiss?" Emil asked.

"The Lost Shrine."

* * *

When the Shadowlord returned, they put out the fire and hit the road once again. Nier and Weiss took the time to tell everyone what they knew about the Lost Shrine.

"The main entrance to the building was blocked off," Weiss said. "But since some of us can fly, not to mention teleport, we should be able to get in. Investigating the place that I used to inhabit could be quite useful."

"I wonder what happened to those statues," Nier said. "I… wasn't very good at aiming my spells back then."

"He broke the ceiling," Weiss tattled immediately.

"When the roof started to cave in, I just ran," Nier continued. "So for all I know, those two could still be in there."

"If I can talk them down, I will," the Shadowlord shrugged. "If not, then we'll fight. We've dealt with dangerous enemies and won before. I don't see why it should change now."

Kainé looked between him and Nier, remembering her earlier thoughts. She lagged slightly behind, quietly getting Emil's attention, "Hey, kid, I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, Kainé! What is it?"

"Is it just me or do Nier and the Shadowlord look similar?" she asked.

He slowly nodded, "Yeah, I think they kinda do. I wonder why…"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Maybe they are related?" Emil offered. "I mean, if the Shadowlord used to be human…"

"Wasn't he asleep for thirteen hundred years?" Kainé asked.

"…Very distantly related?"

Kainé snorted, "Sure, if you say so." She waved her hand, "Eh, it's probably nothing. Come on."

She grabbed Emil's hand and dragged him along, catching up to the others. Better put this out of her mind: she had other things to worry about.

She still wondered why the hell Tyrann was laughing at her.

* * *

Getting into the building wasn't hard. Emil made no progress with teleportation, but he did figure out a new spell, covering everyone in a transparent bubble of magic and flying them across the ravine. Once inside the Lost Shrine they encountered a few Gestalts, but the half-mad things still had enough of a sense to get out of their way, urged on by the Shadowlord's presence.

They got to the roof without any trouble, approaching the gates, when the Shadowlord froze, staring at the dark spot where some kind of long-dried liquid was spilled on the stone.

"Are you alright?" Emil asked him worriedly.

"…I've been here before," he replied and crouched down to swipe his fingers through the substance. "That's my blood. The facility my daughter and I were in was hidden behind a dimensional lock. I had to use my blood as a power source to teleport us out. And this is where we appeared… I didn't have the time to look around, just teleported again, but if this is the place where you met Weiss…" He stood up, his wings arching up, "Doesn't it seem like too much of a coincidence to you?"

"Not to mention that we still don't know why exactly I was there," Weiss added after translating his words. "The mysteries just keep piling up…"

"Then we should go in and look for clues," Nier said. "Come on."

He opened the massive doors, waving them all in.

Kainé whistled appreciatively, seeing the damage inflicted on the huge room, "You really weren't holding back, were you?"

A good half of the ceiling was missing, its chunks lying across the floor. There were even a few holes in the walls.

"Oh, that's the dimensional barrier, alright," the Shadowlord said, walking the narrow shadowed path near one of the walls. "Can you feel the magic? Weiss? Emil?"

"Uhhh… I can feel _something_ ," Emil said unsurely, pointing his staff at the far wall. "There is something right there…"

"A rather intricate spell," Weiss hummed. "Though I cannot tell how exactly it works… It seems to be something between a teleportation point and a dimensional pocket."

"Can you open this lock?" Nier asked.

The Shadowlord flared his wings with a shudder, "Going back there is the last thing I want."

"This magic is far too complex," Weiss replied. "I suppose you managed to escape because it's weaker on the inside. I doubt we will be getting in any time soon."

"Well, that was pointless," Kainé huffed. "Are we leaving?"

And that was when the remains of the ceiling caved in.


	26. When Words Fail

**Chapter 26: When Words Fail**

Kainé tensed, warily studying the two Gestalts. They were huge, holding massive weapons and encased head-to-toe in metal armor, so the sunlight didn't affect them. However, both of them were injured: one was missing his left arm and the other had something wrong with his legs.

"They're not relapsed," the Shadowlord said quickly, flaring his aura.

The Gestalts didn't seem to react, instead zeroing in on Nier.

"Thief!" one of them bellowed. "You stole Grimoire Weiss! Give it back!"

"Sorry, I happen to like him better," Weiss replied. "…I don't suppose you will agree to answer a few questions?"

"Grimoire Weiss belongs to the overseers," the other Gestalt said. "Give it back or we will take it by force."

"Overseers?!" the Shadowlord snarled. "You work for those soulless things?!"

The Gestalts reeled back, finally recognizing him, "…Shadowlord?"

He stretched his wings to the sides, flaring his aura again, "Yes. So _stand down_. We don't want to fight you."

The Gestalts were silent, like the statues they resembled. Finally, one of them stepped forward, "No. We will take Grimoire Weiss back and we will destroy anyone and anything that stands in our way!"

"And I suppose my opinion doesn't matter?" Weiss asked, gathering magic around himself.

"Weiss is my friend, not a tool for someone to use!" Nier snapped.

"If you attack us, we will defend ourselves," the Shadowlord growled. "So make your choice!"

In response the Gestalts raised their weapons and leapt into battle.

Nier was forced into melee, the Gestalts singling him out with particular viciousness. Kainé managed to land a few hits, trying to draw at least one of them away, but couldn't pierce their armor. Emil found himself busy with healing and creating shields and the Shadowlord was sidelined completely, forced to stay in the few remaining shadowed areas and attack from the distance.

The Gestalts kept double-teaming them, their heavy weapons nearly cracking the floor. Kainé dodged the strikes, searching for any weak points in their seemingly impenetrable armor.

The Shadowlord had a different idea, creating a massive magic arm and grabbing one of the Gestalts by his already injured legs, tugging him down. The Gestalt fell to the floor and Kainé quickly jumped on his back, stabbing his knees to cripple him further.

He roared in pain and awkwardly swung his arm, trying to knock Kainé away, but she was faster, avoiding the hit and jumping off. The Gestalt struggled to stand up, but his legs were too injured and he fell down again.

"Hansel!" the other Gestalt cried, running towards him.

Nier rushed forward, the tip of his sword barely an inch away from the downed Gestalt's eye, "Last chance. Stand down or I will kill him."

The other froze, his hand trembling on the hilt of his weapon, "Hansel…"

"Look out!" Kainé screamed, bolting towards Nier and pushing him away, when the downed Gestalt brought up his weapon with unexpected speed.

"Kainé!" several voices screamed as one, when she felt something hit her in the back.

She stared at the long spike protruding from her chest. Her swords fell from her hands.

There was movement, sharp and dizzying, and Kainé found herself sailing through the air. Her body felt weightless and alien, her flight lasting for eternity, until she hit the wall and slid down, leaving behind a trail of blood.

She could see the fight still raging, noting with faint satisfaction that the Gestalt that killed her was now dead too. The other went berserk, attacking without any rhyme or reason, until it was killed as well.

Once the threat was dealt with, her friends rushed to her side. Weiss and Emil casted spell after spell, trying to heal her, but it was pointless. There was nothing they could do.

"Get… get back…" she whispered, feeling Tyrann rise to the surface as her strength waned.

He laughed madly, "It's all over for you, Sunshine!"

His power exploded in a wave of darkness, throwing her friends away. He stood up slowly and lunged towards her swords, grabbing them with a cackle, "Now that's more like it! So tell me, Sunshine, who should I kill first? The kid? The so-called lord? Or maybe the guy you gave your life for?" He laughed again, "Doesn't matter! I'll kill them all!"

Tyrann jumped from wall to wall, releasing wave after wave of magic blasts, until a well-aimed spear knocked him away. He quickly jumped to his feet and lunged forward, wildly slashing his swords, "I'll carve you open and rip off your skin! I'll break your limbs and make you choke on your blood!"

Weiss knocked him back with another spear, "By my pages! Is this what Kainé had to deal with?!"

"Who the hell allowed this psycho to Gestaltize?!" the Shadowlord snarled, trying to grab him with a summoned hand.

Tyrann avoided the attack, jumping on the wall, only for Nier to knock him down again.

Emil quickly pinned him down with magic, "Now!"

Several spells impacted him at once, and Kainé felt his control start to waver. She pushed her will against his, making him stumble and curse, his control slipping further.

"It's working!" the Shadowlord yelled. "Keep going!"

"We'll bring you back, Kainé!" Emil cried, restraining him once more.

Tyrann snarled, breaking through the spell, but a massive hand slammed him down, numerous dark spears tearing through his body. Kainé struggled for control, not giving him a second of respite, and then Emil was there again, his bright magic pushing Tyrann down. Weiss added his own power and eventually the mad Gestalt was forced to retreat, releasing his hold on her.

Kainé gasped for breath, one hand pressed to her healed chest. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hold him back…" she whispered. "Did I hurt anyone?"

"Bah! As if you could!" Weiss replied immediately, as pompous as ever.

"We're fine, Kainé, really," Emil said, holding her hand in both of his. "Just really worried about you."

Kainé blinked, the world shifting into focus, and looked at them properly. Aside from a few bruises and minor cuts, no one was too badly injured.

Kainé grabbed that thought before it dissolved in her exhausted mind. No one was hurt. Tyrann attacked with all his power, trying to kill them in earnest, yet no one was hurt and she was back in control.

She huffed, feeling an almost hysterical laughter bubble in her chest. For all his threats, he didn't manage to hurt anyone.

Kainé tilted her head back and laughed, "You arrogant asshole! You can't do jack shit!" She slapped one hand over her mouth, trying and failing to muffle her ugly snorting, "It doesn't matter if you take over, they will beat your ass down any fucking day!"

All this time she spent fearing what Tyrann might do to her friends if he ever got the chance… And the answer was nothing! He was just a weakling with more bark than bite!

She didn't even have to listen to him… Kainé laughed again, the realization making her dizzy. She didn't have to listen to him!

"Hear that, you sack of shit? Say whatever you want, I don't give a fuck! You have no power over me!"

Kainé kept laughing, tears sliding down her cheeks, and for the first time in her life she felt truly free.

* * *

 _A/N: For a long time, I wasn't sure what to do with Hansel and Gretel, whether to kill one of them, both of them, or let them both live. When I was writing this chapter, I still wasn't sure, so I kinda let the characters do whatever they wanted. Apparently, what they wanted was murder. Well, being able to understand each other doesn't mean you can always reach compromise._


	27. If the Mountain Will Not Come

**Chapter 27: If the Mountain Will Not Come**

Weiss was right, back in the underground lab: not every conflict could be resolved peacefully. And the ability to communicate didn't always equal understanding. Nier forgot about that and the two Gestalts were a nasty wake up call.

He wasn't proud of winning that fight but he couldn't find it within himself to regret it either. They tried to talk, tried to compromise, but the Gestalts refused to stand down. Kainé had almost died (almost died trying to protect _him_ ) and that was something he couldn't forgive.

There was one good thing to come out of their pointless trip: seeing what the Gestalt that possessed Kainé was like answered more questions than he thought to ask. It was a wonder Kainé was still sane after dealing with a monster like him for years. But this battle and Tyrann's subsequent defeat seemed like a turning point of sorts. As they settled on the roof of the Lost Shrine to get some rest and treat their injuries, Kainé seemed calmer and more relaxed than ever.

"Are you _sure_ you are alright?" Nier asked for the umpteenth time as Emil casted a healing spell on him.

Kainé growled, "I swear, if you don't stop asking me this shit, I'm going to fucking stab you."

…Calmer and more relaxed compared to her usual state.

"Well, forgive us for being worried about your barely clothed hide!" Weiss huffed.

"How about you shut your nonexistent mouth before I ripped out your pages?!"

Yeah, she was fine.

Nier felt the healing spell take effect, his cuts and bruises disappearing, "Thank you, Emil."

"It's nothing, really," he awkwardly replied. "I just wish this spell was stronger than it is."

"You're doing great, so don't you fucking start, kid," Kainé grumbled. Then she glared at the Shadowlord who was wisely keeping his mouth shut, "Are you going to say something too?!"

The Gestalt shook his head.

"See that you don't!"

"Actually…" Nier started. "I wanted to ask you something. …Not about you, Kainé, honest."

The Shadowlord tilted his head and gestured for him to continue.

"What was that about the overseers?" he asked curiously.

"…I can't believe I forgot about them," the Gestalt grumbled. Nier was starting to get used to discerning his tone while simultaneously listening to Weiss' translation. "To be fair, a lot of things happened since I've seen them last. In short: the overseers are androids, humanoid robots. They were created to maintain the stasis pods for Gestalts and keep an eye on White Chlorination, until it was time to wake us all up. I'm not sure how many of them are supposed to be around, but I've only ever seen two. They looked like ordinary human women, but I think I could feel that they weren't, because they always set me on edge. Never got their names… If they had names at all."

"But what would they need with Weiss?" Emil asked.

The Shadowlord only shrugged, "No idea. I never managed to get a straight answer out of them for any question I asked. For all their claims about being Gestalt caretakers, they didn't act particularly helpful. All they ever said to me were demands for more of my blood, more demonic element, as if they hadn't already been harvesting it for centuries. I'm just glad that I managed to escape and take my daughter away from them."

Nier frowned, "Did you just say they looked human?" After receiving a nod of confirmation he continued, "And they could understand your speech… So why didn't they try to do anything to stop the fight between humans and Gestalts, if it was their job to look after your kind?"

The Shadowlord froze. "…You know," he slowly said. "That's an extremely good question. And I have no idea what the answer is."

* * *

There really was nothing left to do in the Lost Shrine, so they left, Nier and Weiss passing through his village while the rest of the team scrambled across the mountains. The rough terrain would've been hard, maybe even impossible to cross for anyone else, but both Emil and the Shadowlord could fly while Kainé could clear the distance in just a few jumps. Still, no matter how easy it was for them, it didn't feel right to split up like this.

Nier really wanted to bring his friends home and introduce them to Yonah, but he knew full well what the reaction of the other villagers would be: wide-scale panic, fighting, and possibly heart attacks.

Maybe he could bring Yonah outside instead? Nier paused. That… wasn't such a bad idea, actually. The healing spells Weiss learned from Grimoire Porphura helped her health greatly and it would be good for Yonah to get out a little. And it wasn't like staying just outside the gates was particularly dangerous: the number of Gestalt attacks was steadily declining and Nier and his friends could protect her.

Nier nodded to himself. He would run the idea by his team first, but so far he didn't see any downsides.

* * *

Nier didn't stay in his village for long, only stopping to present his idea to Yonah (she was absolutely delighted and could barely wait) and ask Devola whether she had any work for him. Then he almost ran into the grasslands outside.

The rest of his team was waiting close to the gates, hiding in the shadows under a stone overhang and talking in quiet voices.

"Well, someone's in a hurry," Kainé said instead of a greeting. "What's the matter with you?"

Nier grinned, "I just had an idea: Yonah wanted to meet you all so much, and since she is feeling much better now, I could bring her here. What do you say?"

"I understand how rare it is to hear a smart thought from this barbarian," Weiss added. "But even a broken clock is right twice a day."

"I think it's a great idea!" Emil said. "But-" He hunched over slightly and looked down.

Nier put a hand on his shoulder, "I already told Yonah what you look like and she doesn't care. Besides, she met the Shadowlord before and definitely liked him, so why should you be different?"

"She did?" the Gestalt asked.

Nier nodded, "You were all she talked about for _weeks_."

"You sure know how to make an impression," Kainé commented. "I don't mind meeting her myself. And between the five of us we can keep the little twerp safe."

"I'd like to meet her too," the Shadowlord said.

"All in agreement then," Weiss commented. "We should return and tell Yonah."

Nier nodded then paused and turned to Kainé, "Can you _please_ try not to swear near Yonah?"

"Sure, whatever."

This didn't sound particularly reassuring.

" _Kainé_."

She rolled her eyes, "I fucking promise."

Nier got a sudden feeling of impending doom.


	28. Field Trip

**Chapter 28: Field Trip**

Yonah bounced slightly on her feet, barely able to contain her excitement. She was about to go outside! And she was going to meet her dad's friends too!

She waved at the guards as they passed through the gates and held her dad's hand tightly as they walked down the path to where his friends were waiting for them.

Yonah gasped in delight and ran towards the familiar dark figure, "It really _is_ you!" She threw her hands around the Shade's waist, "Thank you again for saving me!"

The Shade ruffled her hair and wrapped his wings around her. She couldn't understand what he said back, but Weiss translated it, "It's good to see you again, Yonah. I'm glad you are feeling better."

Weiss sounded kinda funny when translating stuff: a bit flat, like he was reading from a book. …Did he read books? He _was_ a book! Yonah even tried to read him once, but she couldn't understand anything. Weiss said that was because the spells inside him were really old and complicated.

Yonah let the Shadowlord go (her dad said that he was the strongest Shade ever and that was why the other Shades called him this) and looked at the floating skeleton who was trying really hard to hide his face in his scarf.

"You're Emil, right?" she asked, stepping closer to him. "I've got your letter! That means we're friends now, right?"

He looked up, "…Really? You- you don't mind?"

"Mind what?"

"That- that I look like this?"

Yonah scrunched her nose, "Why would I?"

"Thank you… Thank you!"

Emil floated down so that they were almost the same height and hugged her. Yonah smiled and hugged him back. It was nice, even though his bones felt kinda… boney.

"You should eat more," Yonah said, poking him in the ribs. "I could cook you something!"

Emil let her go and rubbed the back of his head, "I don't really need to eat."

"That's sad."

"It's fine, really! I don't mind."

"At least this way you will not get poisoned," Weiss said. Yonah didn't understand why her dad glared at him.

"And you must be Kainé!" Yonah said to the last member of the group.

"I sure am," the woman responded.

Yonah tilted her head, "…Don't you get cold?"

Weiss laughed, "A truer question has never been asked!"

Kainé hissed something, too quiet for Yonah to hear.

Yonah tilted her head to one side then to the other. She squinted at Kainé then walked around her, but she still couldn't see anything.

"See something interesting, kid?" Kainé asked.

"I don't see any difference between your left and right places."

"Uh… What?"

"Devola said that you are put together in all the right places," Yonah explained. "But your left places also look nice."

"Thanks, kid," Kainé said. She sounded a bit weird. "You look nice too. Also, never say those words again."

"Will wonders ever cease?" Weiss commented. "The hussy chiding others for their language."

"Shut the f- h- up!"

"What does 'hussy' mean?" Yonah asked curiously.

"Yes, Weiss, what does it mean?" Kainé cackled.

He sputtered and ruffled his pages, "Now, see here-"

"It's a bad word and you shouldn't use it," her dad said.

Yonah crossed her arms, "But Weissey can?!"

Kainé coughed, " _Weissey?!_ "

"Such a nasty cough. Are you, perchance, falling ill?" Weiss drawled. "What are we going to do if you, say, _lose your voice_?"

Kainé grumbled something that sounded like, 'Keep dreaming.'

"I hope you get better, Kainé," Yonah said. Then she turned to her dad, "Can I use bad words when I'm older?"

Her dad made a funny face, "…Only when you are at least as old as Kainé."

* * *

Everyone was so nice to her and it was great to see what was outside the gates of her village, but her dad said it wasn't good for her health to stay out there for long. Yonah didn't want to go back so soon, so Emil offered to show her his home.

"This is where you live?" Yonah gasped when she saw the house. It was huge!

"Yeah, this is my manor!" Emil replied. "Come on! I'll introduce you to Sebastian. He's my butler and he's been taking care of me for ages."

Sebastian was also really nice and really happy to see them.

Yonah looked around the huge hall inside the house (it was almost as big as Popola's library!). "Why is everything so grey?" she wondered and shivered slightly. "And it's kinda cold too…"

"You are feeling the hostile magic of this manor," Weiss explained. "This is an old and malevolent place."

"No, it isn't!" Emil protested. "Come on, Weiss! I've lived here since forever and I've never noticed anything like this!"

"That is merely because you have an incredibly high magic resistance," Weiss said. "For anyone else this building is remarkably unpleasant to remain in for long."

"I must agree with this assessment, Master Emil," Sebastian said. "Though I've grown so used to it over the years, I barely notice it myself."

"…Oh," Emil looked down.

He seemed kinda sad, so Yonah grabbed his hand, "It's still a really nice house! I love it!"

"Thanks. I can show you around if you want?"

"Sure!"

"Perhaps not right now, Master Emil?" Sebastian interjected.

"Huh? Why not?"

"There's a Shade- I mean, Gestalt in the library," the butler said. "Though it doesn't seem particularly hostile. So far, it hasn't done anything."

"A lot of Shades are nice!" Yonah said. Her dad told her that some Shades got really sick and that's why they tried to hurt others. And some were just very scared… But what did 'Gestalt' mean?

"Let's go talk to them, I guess, and see what they want," her dad sighed.

"What's a Gestalt?" Yonah asked. "Is it another name for Shades?"

Her dad nodded, "It is." He paused slightly, "Actually… There's something you should know about them."


	29. Drifting Sands

**Chapter 29: Drifting Sands**

Yonah might've been a child, but Nier wasn't going to hide something as big as the truth about Gestalts from her. After all, it was the inability to communicate that started this whole mess. He kept things simple, only telling her the basics about White Chlorination and Project Gestalt (there was no need to burden her with the sordid tales about human experimentation).

All things considered, Yonah was remarkably accepting.

After dealing with the Gestalt in the library (they were relapsed but not violent, so all it took was a pointed command from the Shadowlord to make them leave), they stayed in the manor for the rest of the day.

Yonah happily explored the ancient building, completely undeterred by its cursed and probably haunted status and generally unwelcome atmosphere. Emil gladly showed her around, both of them loud and gleeful and for once acting their age.

It had been so long since Nier saw his daughter so happy… It broke his heart to take her back home the following day but there was nothing he could do about it. Sooner or later, the cursed manor was going to start affecting her, and at least back in the village Devola and Popola could look after her.

Nier stayed home with her for a while, running a few errands around the village, but eventually he had to move on and continue searching for the cure.

* * *

It wasn't long before their hunt for magic and information led them into the desert.

"What the fuck is with all this fucking wind?!" Kainé yelled, nearly choking on the sand-filled air.

Emil yelped, his lightweight body completely at the mercy of the weather. The Shadowlord wasn't faring much better, his wide wings catching the wind and sending him skidding across the dunes.

Nier had to use his sword as an anchor, covering his face with one hand and trying to see where exactly they were.

Weiss made the smart choice and disappeared into a dimensional pocket.

An even stronger gust of wind sent Emil hurtling through the air, knocking him into the Shadowlord. The Gestalt growled something incomprehensible and probably very rude, grabbing the boy and gathering his magic around, teleporting them both away.

He reappeared a few seconds later to grab both Kainé and Nier and teleport them too.

Nier coughed, spitting out the sand, and looked around. They were at the bottom of the canyon, the storm raging high above. A winding river flowed only a few feet away, but there was more than enough space for them to rest.

"Good idea. Let's just wait it out," Nier said, shaking the sand out of his hair. "Thank you."

The Shadowlord leaned against the rough wall, trying to catch his breath. He had explained before that carrying someone during teleportation required far more power than he usually cared to use.

"Defeated by mere weather?" Weiss asked smugly, reappearing out of whatever dimension he hid in and ignoring the annoyed looks directed at him. "And it looks like _someone_ has even less clothes than usual."

Kainé glowered at him but didn't stop trying to get the sand out of her clothing. Instead she waited until Weiss turned away from her and with a highly precise kick in the back cover sent him tumbling into the river.

Weiss immediately floated out, sputtering in incoherent rage. His magical defenses were more than capable of dealing with something as mundane as water but it didn't mean he liked being thrown into a cold river. He opened his cover and shook himself dog-like, water flying from his pages and thoroughly drenching Kainé in retaliation.

It took the rest of the team holding Kainé back to keep things from escalating further.

* * *

The storm didn't seem to be quieting down any time soon, forcing them to camp out in the canyon.

Nier couldn't sleep, tiredly watching his friends.

Kainé was the furthest away, curled on the ground with her swords always in reach. Even now she chose to separate herself from them, though Nier was glad to see the distance fading.

Emil sprawled face down, his head pillowed on one skeletal arm. He always tried so hard to stay cheerful and optimistic, even after everything that happened to him… It was nice to see him having fun for once.

The Shadowlord slumped down with his back to the wall, arms wrapped around his knees and wings spread at his sides. The patterns on his skin slowed down but never quite stopped shifting. He looked tired, the secrets he carried a heavy burden that he still refused to share.

"Go to sleep already," Weiss murmured. "We don't need you dragging your feet tomorrow."

The Grimoire didn't need as much rest as them, so he offered to keep the watch. Nonetheless, he chose to stand vertically on a nearby rock to conserve his energy rather than float under his own power.

Nier sighed and rubbed his eyes. There was just too much on his mind.

"Weiss," he said quietly. "We were wrong, weren't we?"

The Grimoire rustled his pages, "What about?"

"That legend Popola told us… We assumed it was about Black Scrawl, but… it's not, is it?"

Weiss was silent, mulling it over. "Perhaps," he grudgingly admitted, voicing Nier's own fears. "After all, this chaos that Grimoire Noir supposedly caused was probably referring to Gestalts."

Nier turned away, his heart aching. Was there really no way to help Yonah?

"Don't you dare think that we are going to give up," Weiss said, rising into the air and floating closer to nudge his shoulder. "It's a legend, nothing more. And as you have already seen, Noir and I are not the only Grimoires in existence. We'll just keep searching."

And even if their search for Grimoires and Sealed Verses was in vain…

Nier looked at the Shadowlord, who reminded him so much of himself. Even if Weiss couldn't stop the Black Scrawl and help Yonah… He might be able to save someone else's child.

* * *

 _A/N: Oh, you don't know the half of it, Nier… *cackles* More irony!_

 _There's a canyon in the desert, but I'm not sure if there's a river down there. Oh well, now there is._


	30. Howling at the Sun

**Chapter 30: Howling at the Sun**

Tired. He felt so incredibly _tired_.

Every day was the same. The humans attacked them and they retaliated. They attacked humans and the humans fought back.

This endless circle of blood and death, going on and on and on…

Roc dropped his head on his front paws and whined miserably, only ever allowing himself to show his true feelings when he was alone.

He wanted to believe that peaceful coexistence was still possible, but it was getting harder and harder to hold on to hope. Every drop of blood spilled on the desert sands chipped away at his soul, leaving behind only anger and grief.

He didn't know what to do anymore…

A familiar scent tinged with something strange reached his nose and Roc quickly rose up. Humans! Couldn't they leave them alone for a single day?!

Roc howled, calling his pack closer, and ran towards the intruders, preparing for a fight. He nearly stumbled when a wave of dark magic washed over him, setting all his senses ablaze.

He knew what it was, something inside him recognizing the one whose blood flowed through every Gestalt in existence.

The Shadowlord.

What was he doing with those humans?

The wolf quickly signaled for his pack to wait and slowly approached the intruders. The humans didn't look quite like his enemies but Roc could feel how dangerous they were.

They looked tense and ready for a fight but they didn't attack. Instead the Shadowlord rose into the air, approaching him alone.

He didn't look like much, but Roc could feel the power barely contained within him. The wolf slowly backed off, his every instinct demanding to bare his throat and submit.

Roc inclined his head, "Greetings, Shadowlord. What brings you to my lands?"

The Shadowlord raised his hands, showing his lack of weapons, "We are only passing through to the city of Facade. We didn't know this land was yours."

"It has always been ours," Roc replied. "Even when the humans came and turned our forests into this desert."

The Shadowlord frowned, "I'm sorry to hear this. We are not here to cause any trouble, I swear."

Roc growled warily, "Then why do you travel with humans and not your own kind?"

"It's a long story. We are looking for old magic and we hoped to find some clues in Facade. Will you let us pass?"

Roc shifted uneasily. He didn't trust those humans and he only knew about the Shadowlord through ages-old hearsay, but at the very least they chose to _talk_ rather than immediately attack.

That alone made the wolf willing to negotiate.

"You may pass through my lands," Roc finally said. "But I won't let you harm anyone."

He didn't think much of his chances against the Shadowlord but Roc was the leader of his pack and he would fight to the bitter end for them.

"We will defend ourselves if needed," the Shadowlord replied. "But we won't attack first."

"Then it is agreed"

It was still the best deal Roc had ever been offered.

* * *

Roc stood atop a rocky cliff overlooking his lands when he felt the Shadowlord approach.

The wolf shifted warily and nodded in greeting, "How has your search been?"

"Fruitless so far," he replied. "But that's not why I'm here. Tell me about your fight with the humans, pack leader."

"Roc," the wolf said. "And there is nothing to tell. First they destroyed our forests and rivers, then they killed our prey, and now they kill us."

"…I see," the Shadowlord slowly said. "Have you ever tried to negotiate with them?"

"Of course I did!" Roc snarled, his fur bristling. "I tried to talk, time and again, but they never listened! I'm sick of this endless war, but they never stop, no matter what we do!"

"They can't understand you."

Roc froze, "…What?"

"Humans can't understand Gestalts," the Shadowlord said. "A magical Grimoire has learned to translate my words, but before that I could only communicate through writing."

Roc felt his paws tremble, a sickening weakness settling in his bones, "That means-"

He couldn't breathe, couldn't say the words…

"The humans have no idea that you have ever tried to talk to them. For all they know, you and your kind are simple beasts that can't be reasoned with."

Roc heavily sat down and covered his eyes with one paw.

"I never had a chance," he whispered. "All those years I spent trying to fix things, always second-guessing myself whenever something went wrong…" Roc laughed bitterly, "But it didn't matter! Nothing I did was ever going to change anything!"

"It might now," the Shadowlord said.

The wolf lowered his paw, "What do you mean?"

"The prince who is currently ruling Facade is missing. If we save him, he might actually listen to us. You can try to talk to him yourself," the Shadowlord offered. "Grimoire Weiss can translate for you. I can't guarantee anything, since I'm not even sure how much power the prince has, but…"

He shrugged and trailed off, but Roc understood. It was a small chance, but it was the best opportunity he might ever have.

He certainly wasn't going to waste it.

* * *

 _This_ was the prince?!

Roc barked out a laugh. This was nothing but a pup, trembling in fear before him!

He stepped closer, towering above the human. The others looked wary, as if expecting him to attack, but Roc was there to talk, nothing more.

"Prince of Facade," he said, hearing the magical book quietly translate his words. "I am Roc, the leader of wolves."

The human pup looked at him, gaping in disbelief, "…It talks?"

Roc bristled slightly, "Listen carefully, human. This land is ours, as it has been for centuries. I am willing to let you stay here, as long as you don't forget who it belongs to."

"Yours?!" the human asked incredulously. "It belongs to the Masked People, not beasts like you!"

"Impudent pup!" Roc snarled, baring his fangs. "You have destroyed our home! You attack us without reason!"

"Bloodthirsty beast!" the human spat. "How many of my people have you killed already?!"

A huge hand formed out of blood and darkness slammed into the ground between them, forcing both of them to jump back. The hand retreated into the white pages of the Grimoire.

"Weren't you supposed to negotiate?" the book asked. "I won't be there to translate for you forever, so hurry it up."

Roc took another step back and breathed heavily, trying to calm down. Grimoire Weiss was right. He couldn't afford to waste this chance.

"Human," he said, trying to keep his voice level. "My offer is this: the land between this temple, your city, and the way to human lands is yours. The rest of the desert is ours. Stay within these borders and we won't attack you. Refuse, and we will kill every last one of you."

The human glared at him, his voice quiet but strong, "We won't attack first, beast, but if you approach our home, if you hurt even a single one of my people, I will not rest until all of you are dead."

So the pup had claws!

Roc bared his fangs and nodded, "So it is agreed, human. I will be watching you." He nodded at the magical book, "Thank you, Grimoire Weiss. Your help was invaluable."

"Think nothing of it," the Grimoire replied.

The wolf turned to leave but paused and looked at the Shadowlord, "You and your pack will always be welcome here, that I promise."

* * *

 _A/N: Roc only ever referred to Replicants as humans. So did Kalil. That's pretty weird. But I guess being a wolf and a young child respectively, they didn't know any better._

 _Anyway, I have an announcement to make: I need to go on a small hiatus. Tomorrow I'm going to another country on a work-related trip. For the entirety of the next week I will be too busy (and too stressed out) to write or edit anything. I will return home on March 18 and resume posting on a usual schedule._


	31. Grasping at Straws

**Chapter 31: Grasping at Straws**

"Freedom at last!" Weiss cheered as he and Nier exited the city of Facade. "Let's go to the Seafront, or the Junk Heap, or even the Aerie! Any place where there is no more people with rules instead of common sense, no more talking wolves, no more sand!"

"At least you weren't the ones stuck in the desert in this weather," the Shadowlord commented dryly. The wind was starting to pick up once again, another storm approaching. "What were you two even doing in Facade for so long? I had half the mind to just leave you there and fly somewhere where grass exists."

"Believe me, it wasn't pleasant for us either," Weiss grumbled in response.

Nier raised his hands, "We came back as fast as we could! But we couldn't just leave the prince after everything that happened. He had a lot of questions about the wolves and Gestalts in general, and we did our best to answer them."

Kainé scowled but nodded, "Fair enough."

"And don't forget that I had to translate there too. These nonsense people with their nonsense language… Though at least the signs Fyra used were useful."

"It's too bad that almost no one knows sign language," the Shadowlord sighed. "Maybe then humans and Gestalts would've found a way to communicate sooner."

"Is that _all_ you want to say about Fyra and her situation?" Kainé needled.

The Gestalt glowered at her, grumbling under his breath.

When he learned about Fyra being forbidden to talk, the Shadowlord ranted for several minutes about idiotic people causing even more problems for everyone than there already were. Understandable, considering the communication problems he faced, but hardly helpful.

At least Kainé's profanity-laden translation managed to calm Fyra better than all their assurances about the Gestalt being friendly did. And Fyra's word was crucial in order to convince the prince that attempting peace talks with the leader of the wolves was a good idea.

So perhaps it _was_ helpful, in some roundabout way.

"At any rate, there is no guarantee that anything is going to come out of this attempt at a treaty," Weiss said. "But we did all we could. We should return here later and see if anything changed, but for now it is out of our hands, so let's leave this dreary place."

No one was going to dispute that decision, all of them having had more than enough of the desert heat and sand.

"So where are we going to next?" Emil asked as they trudged across the dunes, watching out for scorpions.

Weiss shuffled his pages uncomfortably. The truth of the matter was that at this point they had explored the entirety of their surroundings and talked to anyone who cared to talk back.

So far they had found absolutely nothing.

There was still the Lost Shrine, of course, but at their current level of skill, neither Weiss nor Emil would be able to break through the dimensional barrier. And even though Weiss had absorbed two Grimoires and unlocked a number of Sealed Verses, none of them contained any useful information.

Nier sighed, "That's a really good question. I think I'm going to see Popola: maybe she can point us somewhere."

Well, it wasn't as if anyone had any better idea.

* * *

The trip back to the village was long but uneventful. One could even call it boring, but Weiss would take boring over life-threatening any day (and it wasn't as if there was any shortage of dangerous events ever since he met Nier).

Upon their return, Nier followed the usual routine of checking on Yonah, restocking the supplies, and bothering every single person he came across in search of menial tasks to do.

Weiss usually ignored the ruckus of the village marketplace, but a distant conversation caught his attention.

"-dangerous? He's mad, I'm telling you!"

"His daughter is dying. Is it any wonder he went off the deep end?"

"Just ignore him. I know, he doesn't look like it, but he's harmless."

"Still, all this talk about Shades… How can you be sure he won't do anything- You know…?"

The voices retreated, fading in the distance.

Weiss rustled his pages, "…Nier?"

He was well aware that Nier's attempts to tell the others what he knew about Gestalts were met with scorn and disbelief, but to think it was getting this bad in his own home…

"They think I'm crazy," Nier said flatly. "Can't blame them really… Let's just go talk to Popola and get out of here."

* * *

"Does this place feel weird to you?" Nier asked once they were inside the library. "Or, you know, books in general?"

Weiss cracked his cover open and shuffled his pages, "It is not as unsettling as you might think. These are merely objects, lacking anything resembling magic or soul."

"Really? Because I feel like all of these books are about to fly off the shelves and start attacking."

"Oh, if only my fellow Grimoires were that easy to find…" Weiss sighed.

Nier climbed the steps to Popola's office and knocked on the door. Surprisingly enough, Devola was there as well. The twins had a few minor jobs available, but nothing that was related to their goal. After so many dead ends and cold trails, Weiss expected as much.

Devola apologized for not having more tasks for Nier to do, but he only sighed, "It's not your fault if no one wants to hire a lunatic like me."

"I don't think you're crazy," Devola offered.

"But you don't believe me either, do you? …That's fine. I don't care what everyone thinks."

Now that was a bold-faced lie if Weiss ever heard one. Of course he cared. Nier always cared far too much. That was his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. He could never leave things alone, always getting in trouble as a result.

Popola looked at him sadly, "Nier… What you are trying to accomplish is…"

"…Impossible?" he finished then stubbornly glared at the librarian. "How would you know? Did anyone ever try to stop the war between humans and Shades? Did anyone ever try to cure the Black Scrawl with a Grimoire at their side? I have seen so many things I thought were impossible before… What's one more?"

"And if it's not enough? If there is nothing to be done?" Popola asked. "Isn't it better to redirect your efforts to something more… realistic?"

They didn't believe him. They didn't believe _in_ him.

"I believe the expression is, 'we'll cross that bridge when we get to it'," Weiss interjected.

"Weiss is right," Nier added. "We can't just give up and do nothing. Every step counts. We have found a way to treat Yonah, even if we can't cure her completely. We haven't stopped this war, but we have still saved lives!"

Devola bit her lip and turned away.

Popola looked down, "…Do you really think it matters? What will you do if this is all ultimately pointless?"

"When did you become so cynical?" Nier asked incredulously.

Devola laughed, her voice sounding strange, "Comes with age, I guess."

"I am the oldest being here," Weiss said. "And I disagree wholeheartedly. Thank you for your advice, but we refuse to heed it. We will continue on as we did before."

* * *

 _A/N: I'm back! Finally! I have arrived home just this morning and I'm tired as hell. Tomorrow I'm going back to work, and since there's a lot of stuff for me to catch up on, this might cause some schedule slips. I will do my best to post as usual, so just a heads up._

 _And thanks to **SomebodyLost** for reminding me about the mute rule!_


	32. No Good Deed

**Chapter 32: No Good Deed**

Nier had lost count of how many times they had walked between his village and the other settlements, how many underground locations they had returned to, how many people they had talked to.

Days and weeks were blurring together but nothing was truly accomplished. Their goal wasn't getting any closer. They had no leads, not even a hint of where they could search next.

He regularly talked to Popola, but she had no clues for him either. At least the librarian hadn't tried to discourage him again. Nier knew what that was all about: it wasn't the first time he had heard the sentiment. The villagers kept saying that he should abandon his quest and stay home with Yonah. _Keep her company_ , as if she was already on her death bed…

They knew nothing! They had no idea how much of their beliefs were wrong, no idea what Nier had already managed to accomplish with the help of his friends!

No, he couldn't afford to give up. But it was getting so hard to hold on to hope…

"Should we go to the Lost Shrine again?" he asked out loud. It was the only clue they had left.

"We have tried to get through the barrier already," Weiss replied. "It is far too complex for us to unravel."

"Maybe if we at least knew what the spellweave looks like," Emil sighed. "Just a little bit!"

"Unravelling this spell is like trying to untangle a ball of yarn after an army of cats has been through with it," the Grimoire explained. "Except we are going in blind, unable to even see the threads."

"And what about breaking it?" Kainé asked.

"Unfortunately, it is far too strong. We might be able to break through, but only if we damage the weakest point. Except, once again, we cannot find it."

"I suppose we can just hit the barrier at random and hope we get lucky," the Shadowlord said. Weiss' disgusted voice when translating was enough to show what he thought of that idea.

"You could also try hitting it with your head, since you _clearly_ have no other use for it," the Grimoire added.

"Well, does anyone have a better idea?" Kainé asked.

"Ummm… We could try to travel further away…" Emil said unsurely.

Nier winced. He had thought about this too. He didn't want to leave Yonah alone for too long, but if there really was no other choice…

"Where then?" Weiss asked. "We have the sea on one side and the desert intermixed with mountains on all others."

Emil raised his hand, "But we hadn't searched all of the mountains, right? I have a flight spell, remember?"

"Since I'm the fastest, I can scout ahead," the Shadowlord offered.

"If we do this, we need to stock up on supplies first," Kainé said. "Who knows how much time this will take?"

Nier jumped to his feet, "Then let's go!"

* * *

It took some time to put everything in motion. The Shadowlord found a small outpost on the other side of the mountain range, right where another desert began. A cursory search showed nothing important within, but at this point they would take whatever they could get.

They moved out across the twisting mountain pass close to the Aerie, trying to move on foot wherever possible (no one wanted to put too much strain on Emil, other than the kid himself).

They didn't get far when the Shadowlord stopped and growled something before teleporting away.

"Humans and Gestalts ahead," Weiss translated quickly. "Very close, probably fighting."

Nier cursed under his breath and hurried down the narrow road. He could see people ahead: two humans and two Gestalts. The Shadowlord stood between them, pinning all four to the side of the mountain with summoned crimson hands.

"Oh god, somebody help us, please!" one of the humans cried, struggling to break free.

"What's going on here?" Nier asked.

"Idiots refusing to stand down," the Shadowlord replied. "I had to stop the fight somehow."

The Gestalts were talking too.

"They attacked us for no reason," Weiss translated. "You are the Shadowlord, why are you trying to protect these monsters?"

"Just calm down, please!" Nier called. "We're here to help! No one is going to hurt you!"

"Monster!" the captive human yelled, and Nier winced, realizing she was looking at Emil. The kid hunched over, hiding behind Kainé.

"Stop yelling, you moron," the woman growled. "We're not gonna kill you… As long as you don't give us a reason to."

"Your attitude is hardly helpful," Weiss grumbled. Nier wasn't sure whether he meant Kainé or the others.

It was starting to look like the Gestalts were talking too fast for the Grimoire to translate. The Shadowlord was saying something to them in increasingly more aggravated tone but they didn't seem to listen.

Damn, what should they do?

"Enough!" Weiss yelled, sending a crimson spear hurtling into the mountainside between the captive humans and Gestalts. "This pointless screaming will get you nowhere, so are you going to start acting like reasonable people and _listen?!_ "

* * *

"That… could've gone better," Nier said. He felt completely lost.

"It could've gone a lot worse too," Weiss retorted. "At least everyone is still alive."

Both humans and Gestalts had been throwing accusations at them and at each other, too scared and angry to listen to reason. The Shadowlord had to let them go eventually, having achieved absolutely nothing.

"Stubborn assholes too stupid to listen," Kainé scoffed.

"Unfortunately, our resident wardrobe malfunction is correct," Weiss said. "There is really nothing we can do about it."

"But we have to keep trying," the Shadowlord said.

"Every step counts," Weiss added after translating his words. "We can't give up."

Kainé shrugged, "So these idiots didn't listen. So what? Maybe someone else will."

"It's better than nothing, right?" Emil added.

…His friends were right. Losing hope was unacceptable and as long as they all believed in each other, no odds were too high.


	33. Memento Mori

**Chapter 33: Memento Mori**

There was nothing there.

They had searched the small outpost at the outer edge of the mountain range top to bottom but there was nothing useful inside it: not a drop of magic, not a scrap of information. Nothing.

And beyond the outpost there was only an empty desert, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"…What now?" Weiss asked. "Should we attempt to cross it?"

"Hell no!" Kainé protested. "We're going to fucking die out there! Do you see any water around? Because I sure as hell don't!"

"I could've tried to cross it, but there's nowhere to hide from the sun," the Shadowlord said.

"At least there were mountains and a canyon near Facade," Weiss agreed.

"Is the sunlight really that bad for you?" Emil asked.

"You mean, you don't know? Any other Gestalt will die in seconds. I might survive for about a minute, but I'd rather not test it. Burning alive isn't very pleasant."

"I didn't know that!" Emil cried. "I mean, I knew that Gestalts avoid sunlight – everyone does – but I didn't know it could hurt you this badly!"

The Shadowlord scowled and waved his hand in the air, "What do you think I was doing before I met everyone? The damage isn't that bad if I'm under the sun for only a couple of seconds. As long as there's a dark place for me to teleport to, I'll be fine. It's only a flat desert like this that I can't cross."

"…You know, those two Gestalts in the Lost Shrine could stay in the sun thanks to their armor," Nier mused.

"Where would I even get something like this? Besides, armor would be too heavy while something like a cloak would be too easy to damage. And I need my wings uncovered to fly."

Kainé shrugged, "Fair enough. Now, is there a point in staying here or should we go back?"

After a little more milling around, they started the trek home with nothing to show for all the time and effort they had wasted.

* * *

"So I was thinking," the Shadowlord started as they scrambled along the narrow mountain roads.

"Heavens forbid," Weiss muttered, more out of habit than anything. The Gestalt wasn't particularly talkative at the best of times and right now he seemed… oddly reluctant. Something was bothering him, Weiss could see it in the tense arc of his wings and hear it in his voice.

The Shadowlord glared at him but his expression quickly turned serious, "There's something I want to show you. All of you. It's… not that far from here."

"Lead the way then."

* * *

Emil had to use his magic to get them across the mountains – the Shadowlord didn't follow any roads, leading them into an unremarkable cave.

"A cave? Really? That's what you dragged us all the way here to see?" Kainé grumbled.

The Shadowlord pointed at the narrow crack in the stone leading deeper, "We need to go farther. If worse comes to worst, you should be able to blast through. For now, I'll teleport you in."

He gestured for them to step closer, the teleportation spell requiring physical contact. Kainé squirmed at the closeness but didn't say anything, all of them waiting for the Gestalt to charge his magic.

The darkness swirled around them, growing thicker until it reached the threshold, tugging them through dimensions into a different place. Weiss swiveled around, unable to see anything in the darkness other than the glowing markings on the Shadowlord's skin.

"I think we had a lantern somewhere," Nier called, blindly searching through the dimensional pocket that concealed their supplies.

"Let me try!" Emil said. Faint wisps of pale purple light swirled around the top of his staff, illuminating their surroundings.

"…What the hell is that?" Kainé asked, pointing at the object of glass and metal in the farthest corner.

Weiss floated closer, looking at the ancient machinery and the small figure of a Gestalt within, "Oh…"

"This is my daughter," the Shadowlord said, stepping closer to what Weiss realized was a stasis pod. "I hid her here to keep her safe. But this is a dangerous world and I kept thinking: what would happen to her if I died? If no one knew where she was… She would remain here until the fuel ran out. Then she would wake up, alone in the darkness… Then go insane, relapse completely… And die here, all alone…"

"She won't," Nier said, resting a hand on the Gestalt's shoulder. "I swear, if anything happens to you, we'll look after her."

"We promise!" Emil added.

"Yeah, we will," Kainé nodded.

"Just show us how this technology works," Weiss said. "And we'll take care of her."

"…Thank you."

* * *

The ancient machinery was easy enough to operate: an indicator to check the fuel level, an opening in the generator to fill it, and a couple of buttons to start the defrosting process. Obtaining Gestalt blood might be slightly more challenging, but they had accomplished harder tasks.

The Shadowlord said goodbye to his daughter, looking like it physically hurt him to leave, and teleported them all out. He leaned against the wall of the cave and slid down, burying his face in his knees.

Nier sat down next to him, resting a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you for trusting us."

"I'm still keeping secrets," the Gestalt muttered.

Kainé shrugged, "Well, who doesn't?"

"…I should tell you."

"You look like shit, so shut up and rest."

That brought a weak chuckle out of him. The Shadowlord slowly uncurled, tilting his head up, "No, because I'm going to lose my nerve otherwise. Maybe you'd be able to find this out on your own, but I can't risk it. I can't be the only one who knows the truth – I've stayed silent long enough already. Just, please, believe me when I say that I want nothing to do with it. Not anymore."

"Ominous," Kainé commented.

Emil shivered slightly.

"Weiss… What do you remember about Project Replicant?"


	34. Secret Keeper

**Chapter 34: Secret Keeper**

Weiss made a strangled noise and swayed in the air, Emil barely managing to catch him before the Grimoire clattered to the ground.

Nier jumped to his feet, "Weiss! What's wrong?!"

Kainé frowned and pointed her thumb at the Shadowlord, "He said something about Project Replicant."

So did that mean that more memories were returning to Weiss? Nier felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Project Gestalt, Project Snow White… And now this? Whatever this was, he doubted it was going to be good.

The Shadowlord only wrapped his wings tighter around himself, pressing his forehead to his knees.

Weiss twitched slightly then stood upright in Emil's hands. He floated upwards and swiveled around. He looked at the Shadowlord then turned to Nier. The Grimoire reeled back slightly and turned to the Gestalt again, "You-" He turned between them several times more and slowly floated down, looking like he was barely keeping himself in the air. "Oh… This- So that's why-"

The Shadowlord said something.

Kainé frowned, "He said, 'Now, can you see why I didn't tell you my name?'. Weird."

Nier nodded in agreement. What did his name had to do with anything?

The Gestalt said something again.

"So are you ready to fill them in?" Kainé translated.

"…No. I am not going to say anything," Weiss replied. "Not right now. Our first course of action should be to compare notes: unfortunate as it is, my memory is hardly reliable. Besides, I would much prefer for at least _someone_ to keep a clear head. So this is what we are going to do: we will get some rest first and then, when we have both calmed down, we will tell everyone about Project Replicant."

* * *

The uncomfortable silence that settled over them for the rest of the way down the mountain range was odd and grating. Nier sent a worried look to where Weiss and the Shadowlord trailed behind them, talking in too quiet voices.

It scared him. Weiss didn't consider his own past as a child soldier and a lab rat as anything worthy of concern and remembering Project Gestalt didn't rattle him too much, so what in the world could cause this reluctance to speak up?

…He supposed he just had to trust his friends and hope for the best.

* * *

Eventually, they stopped at the bottom of the mountain to get some rest.

Nier poked the campfire with a stick absentmindedly, "So this trip to the outpost was pointless. Is this information about- Project Replicant, was it? Is it useful at least?"

"No," Weiss flatly replied. "It is groundbreaking and certainly unpleasant but I can't really _do_ anything with it." He turned to the Shadowlord, "I suppose I can understand why you stayed silent for so long. At this point this information isn't particularly helpful."

"So we're back to square one," Kainé muttered. "Great."

Nier sighed heavily, "Back home then? I don't think Popola will have any clues for us."

"She certainly didn't the last dozen or so of times we visited," Weiss grumbled. "But I suppose it can't hurt to ask."

Nier poked the campfire again then took the slightly charred stick out, starting to draw nonsense shapes on the dusty ground. He hated this running back and forth without moving forward.

"Is there anything else we can do?" he asked.

"…Maybe," Kainé replied, raising her head in sudden alert. "There's a canyon in the desert near Facade. There's a river down there and more than enough space to hide from the sun. And we've only ever checked _this_ side. How about we check the other one?"

* * *

Nier looked at his team as he helped them make a campfire not far from the gates of his village. He felt torn: he wanted to get home, to see his daughter again, but he didn't want to leave them either. Wasn't there a way to smuggle them in?

"People rarely look up, don't they?" Nier mused. "And very few Gestalts can fly, so the guards won't be on a look out for them."

"What are you planning?" Weiss asked.

"We don't really need to go through the front gates to get into the village, right? You and I can go in normally, but-" He turned to the others, "You guys can just fly around and teleport right into the house."

Kainé scoffed, "You still want to drag us in?"

"Of course I do. You are my friends, it's not right to always make you stay outside."

Kainé made a face but didn't say anything.

"That's a really nice idea," Emil said. "But what if someone notices us? I don't want to scare anyone."

"I've been watching the villages like this one more than once," the Shadowlord said. He still sounded subdued, "You are right – people usually don't look up."

"So you can try to get in!"

The Gestalt exchanged meaningful glances with Weiss.

"Perhaps not right now?" the Grimoire carefully suggested. "We can always revisit this idea later. That is, if you would still want to."

Nier frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Did Weiss really think that whatever this Project Replicant was, it was going to affect their friendship?

He crossed his arms and glared stubbornly at the Grimoire, "Of course I will!"

Weiss turned to the Shadowlord, tilting his cover slightly. The Gestalt pressed his lips together and looked away.

Kainé and Emil watched the byplay with curiosity, looking just as confused as Nier felt.

"We shall talk about this later," Weiss finally said. "For now, let's go home."

Nier nodded and stood up, waving goodbye to his friends. They waved back, settling around the fire.

He glanced at Weiss, as they moved towards the gates, "You know, there's just one thing that's been bothering me."

The Grimoire turned towards him in silent question.

"What's the deal with the Shadowlord's name?"

Weiss dropped nearly a foot down, "You- Uhhh… You will find out."

"…I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"You're not going to like this, most assuredly."

* * *

 _A/N: I feel really bad for dragging it out like this, but the characters refused to cooperate._ _…_ _I'm the author! I'm totally in control!_


	35. Bound Souls

**Chapter 35: Bound Souls**

Weiss knew he was dragging his metaphorical feet as he pieced his faulty memories together, but the middle of a journey into the desert certainly wasn't the right time for revelations. At least the others didn't bother either him or the Shadowlord too much, trusting them both to tell the truth eventually.

…Was it right to still refer to him as such, when Weiss knew his real name? And it was so obvious in hindsight, once he managed to look past his inhuman features to see the familiar face beneath.

Weiss rustled his pages, unable to keep his thoughts from constantly returning to the Gestalt and the revelations of the previous day. It was a mess, pure and simple, almost making him wish that Project Replicant stayed forgotten, but ostrich behavior had never helped anyone. And this knowledge, no matter how unpleasant, was still better than the painful blankness of amnesia, though there was still far too much Weiss couldn't remember, the scattered pieces that returned to him nothing more than islands in the vast ocean of nothingness.

He still had no solution for their troubles.

* * *

Kainé's idea to search the other side of the canyon that stretched near the city of Facade had merit. They had found an ancient facility there, though only time would tell whether there was something useful within or if this trip was as pointless as their last one.

"What a boring place," Weiss mused. "Just your average ancient laboratory full of unspeakable horrors created by science and magic in the middle of a harsh desert."

"Sure. Nothing unusual," Nier deadpanned. "Has anyone noticed that our lives are _really weird_?"

"Eh," Kainé shrugged. "Could be worse."

"It's not so bad," Emil added.

"I've learned not to question it," the Shadowlord said. "It made things easier."

Weiss translated his words, noting that the Gestalt seemed to be back to his usual self, if still slightly on edge.

They descended deeper into the facility without much interruption. It was abandoned even by Gestalts and no wonder: there seemed to be no way to get into that sector of the desert without the ability to fly.

He wondered what secrets this ancient place concealed.

* * *

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me!" Kainé yelled, dodging a magic blast. "There's two of them?!"

Sure enough, there was not one, but two Grimoires attacking them. The blue and green books ( _Neela and Verde_ , something whispered from the corner of his mind) weren't as vicious as Rubrum, but they worked well together. One raised a magic barrier while the other attacked, both of them quickly and seamlessly swapping roles as needed.

Weiss would've been impressed if he wasn't so angry at the stalemate they were forced into.

"What do we do?" Emil cried, sending another of his spells to crash harmlessly into the barrier.

"Keep attacking!" Nier yelled back. "This shield has to break eventually!"

"Oh, brilliant plan!" Weiss snapped. "Now why haven't I thought of it myself?" He sent a barrage of crimson spears at the duo to no effect, "Must be because at this rate they will surely outlast us!"

"If you have any other ideas, I'm all ears," Nier said, dodging the Grimoires' retaliation.

"Attack all at once?" Emil offered, raising a shield of his own. "I can try to pin them down."

"They'll just raise another barrier!" Kainé growled.

"I'll teleport in and try to knock them away from each other," the Shadowlord suggested, darting in the air between magic blasts.

"Try to knock one of them towards me and keep the other occupied," Weiss said quickly. "I will need time to absorb them."

With the plan in place, the team scattered. Emil's bright magic wrapped around the enemy Grimoires like crawling lightning, the others quickly charging their own spells and letting them fly simultaneously, overwhelming the magic barrier.

Before the Grimoires could replenish their shield or retaliate, the Shadowlord teleported in and with a powerful hit sent the green book flying. Weiss immediately blasted them with his own magic, trusting his teammates to keep their blue partner occupied.

Grimoire Verde refused to give up without a fight, but Weiss had the power of Rubrum and Porphura on his side, managing to quickly tear out their green pages.

Without their partner, Neela didn't last long in a five-on-one fight, and Weiss ripped out their pages as well.

* * *

The world was white and empty as if only the three of them existed in the endless light.

"So you have beaten us and now want our power?" Neela asked then shrugged, calm and unconcerned. "Fair enough."

Verde gave him a crooked grin, "We've been in this world for far too long already. So thanks and good luck."

* * *

Weiss fluttered his pages, feeling blue and green fade into white, new magic settling inside him. Neela and Verde specialized in communication and observation, hence their uncannily flawless teamwork. With their power and knowledge at his side, the threads of magic were visible to him.

He could see the bond between Nier and him, their soul pact manifested as an unbreakable chain. Weiss touched it curiously, his magic flowing through the connection and making it even stronger.

Nier twitched slightly and looked at him, "Weiss? Is that you?"

"Oh, you can feel it?" Weiss asked, tugging lightly on their bond and pouring more magic into it. "Those two had some useful skills. I can see the framework of any spell now, our soul pact included. This is exactly what we need to get through the dimensional barrier! And not only that: seeing spellweave is the key to breaking or changing any kind of magic."

Weiss waited until the memories and power settled within him, when something else caught his attention. There was another, different bond wrapped around Nier. Weiss lightly traced its path, realizing that the other end was connected to the Shadowlord.

So was this the link between a Gestalt and a Replicant? Weiss studied it intently, the spellweave complex and unfamiliar. Which part of the spell was affected by relapsing? Which part was responsible for Black Scrawl? Could he break it? Unravel it? Was he even _supposed to_? Would it be better to make the spell stronger? Change it? Rewrite it? Just how dangerous could such tampering be?

He didn't know, had barely any idea where to start, but this was still the greatest step forward. It seemed like they were finally getting somewhere.

* * *

 _A/N: Again with the theme naming: 'neela' means 'blue' in Hindi and 'verde' is Spanish for 'green'. And if anyone's wondering how I picked the names, I just opened Google Translate and clicked between different languages until I found something that sounded okay. Also, in some languages there's no distinction between blue and green, which made these colors a perfect choice for a team of two Grimoires._


	36. All That Is Gold

**Chapter 36: All That Is Gold**

"I have good news and better news!" Weiss announced to everyone once his stolen memories were at least partially integrated. "The good news is, Neela and Verde had the exact kind of magic we need to get into the Lost Shrine. Even better, they gave me the ability to do something with-"

Weiss stumbled, biting his metaphorical tongue. This wasn't the right time either.

"The better news is," he continued. "There should be another Grimoire nearby. There is an old subway system leading from here to another research facility that specialized in transformative magic."

"Another Grimoire this close?" Nier frowned. "Isn't this a bit too much of a coincidence?"

"I wouldn't say so," Weiss replied. "Every facility we had visited before was close to each other. This one simply has a transport system."

They settled for a brief rest before moving out.

Weiss used the time to prod the magic bond between Nier and the Shadowlord a bit more before deciding to leave it alone, at least until they had dealt with the next Grimoire. He wasn't sure how helpful it would be, but more power and knowledge would certainly aid in his attempts to rewrite the spell.

Of course, looking at Kainé and Emil revealed some interesting things as well.

Kainé had an image of a Gestalt (that repulsive Tyrann, no doubt) hovering behind her back. His left arm and leg appeared to be merged with Kainé's, giving the limbs a melted, diseased look. And yet, Weiss couldn't see any bond between them like the one Nier had.

Emil had the images of his human body and the monstrous shape of Halua superimposed over his current form. All three were wrapped in chains that nonetheless didn't seem to impede their movements.

Weiss decided to leave them alone as well, even though he could _almost_ decipher the spell allowing Emil to change shape. Once he got the power of the next Grimoire, then he would certainly attempt to do something.

This was an ultimate breakthrough, making him wonder what else he might be able to do with this power.

* * *

They were in luck: the subway system still worked, the generators requiring only a few drops of the Shadowlord's blood to power up. The ride was also uneventful if somewhat nerve-racking, since everyone half-expected the ancient technology to fall apart around them.

"Well, this is… different," Nier slowly said, studying their surroundings.

"That's one word for it," Weiss said, just as baffled.

Did they go the wrong way? Or was there a problem with memory integration? Because wherever they were, it definitely wasn't any kind of research lab.

Weiss looked at the huge cavern, glistening with gold. Twisted pillars supported the high ceiling, the numerous openings in it flooding the place with sunlight. Stalagmites grew from the ground, stalactites hanging above them like jagged teeth.

"It's not natural," the Shadowlord said, cringing back from sunlight. "Cave formations shouldn't grow like this."

"Too ordered," Nier agreed.

Yes, Weiss could see it too. All the pillars and formations were too smooth and too evenly spaced to be created by nature.

"You think it's the Grimoire's work?" Kainé asked, her swords already in her hands. She was always ready for battle. "You said they could transform things."

A low, hissing chuckle echoed around, accompanied by a light scraping sound of metal on stone.

"I think we're about to find out," Weiss muttered.

They inched closer to each other, looking around for their enemy. A glimpse of reflected light, a movement in the corner of the eye, a glimmer of gold…

"Look out!" Emil cried, raising a magic barrier. Something slammed into the shield, screeching and hissing in anger, and immediately jumped back, skittering up the side of a stalactite.

"What the fuck is this thing?!" Kainé yelled.

"Well, hello there, Zlato," Weiss murmured, looking warily at their enemy.

They looked like a giant spider, cobbled together out of paper and golden wire. Zlato hissed, clicking their mandibles, and raised their second and third pairs of legs, the joints bending in the directions they were hardly meant to. Magic gathered between the four tips, the barrage of crimson blasts flying everywhere.

The attack wasn't particularly successful, most of the blasts impacting the cave formations. The spider-like monster screeched again, their raised legs twisting and warping together, growing serrated edges and transforming into two long arms not unlike those of a praying mantis. Their remaining four legs bent and grew as well, until they resembled those of a grasshopper.

With a shrieking hiss the insectoid monster leapt into battle.

The unusually tough rocky pillars made it hard to maneuver, while Zlato took full advantage of the terrain, their incredible speed and agility making them nearly impossible to hit. Fortunately, despite their size, they weighted almost nothing, so the few hits they got in were barely more than scratches.

Only Kainé was fast enough to meet them on an even ground, but Zlato knew the terrain better and she didn't manage to do more than dent their metal limbs.

Completely sidelined, Nier resorted to methodically destroying the pillars to free up space.

Zlato hissed, noticing his work, and changed shape again. The paper wrapped around their wire-thin limbs lifted off, floating around in a swirling vortex. Their body compacted, the limbs disappearing, transforming into one solid flat mass. The paper whirlwind rushed in, attaching to the middle, and the metal cover snapped closed.

The golden Grimoire glowed with magic and the pillars grew again, filling the empty space.

"Hell, no!" the Shadowlord had enough of staying on the sidelines. A gigantic crimson hand he summoned curled into a fist and plowed into the growing pillars, crushing them into dust.

"Now that's more like it!" Kainé yelled, rushing in and slicing across the metal cover of the Grimoire.

Zlato crashed into the pillars behind them and Emil blasted them with magic, not giving them a chance to retaliate.

The Grimoire surrounded themselves with a magic barrier, but only trapped themselves between the remaining pillars. Forced into a defensive like this, Zlato wasn't given a chance to change the terrain again.

It didn't take long for them to beat the Grimoire into submission and Weiss tore out their golden pages, his world fading into white.

* * *

"You…!" she hissed. "I was the first one, the first to use magic! And now you come here and demand that I give all my power to you?!"

"I'm sorry, Zlato, but I need it far more than you do."

She laughed bitterly, "So you came here to kill me just because I have something you want?!"

" _You_ attacked _us!_ " Weiss snapped. His voice softened, "…You are dead, Zlato. You have been dead for a very long time."

She stared at him, her expression slowly crumbling, "That's right, I died and you didn't… So keep on living then. And… maybe remember me?"

"I will."

* * *

 _A/N: Amber, gold… What's the difference? It's still yellow. And again with the names. 'Zlato' means 'gold' in Serbian. Also, 'Zlata' is a Slavic feminine name, so I guess it's doubly fitting._


	37. Sound Is Words

_A/N: Ummm... Peanuckle? Have you recieved my replies to your last two reviews? Because FFnet is straight up messing with me. I hit send and it says that the message was sent, yet the text remains in the 'compose message' window like it does with unsent messages and there's nothing in my outbox. WTF? (I mean, I could've hit 'Site Preview' instead of 'Send Message' by accident once or twice, but four times in a row?! And I did check where I was clicking.)_

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Sound Is Words**

Nier watched Weiss shudder and dip slightly in the air, the pages he tore out of the golden Grimoire changing their color to white. It was strange how Weiss had the pages of five other books inside his cover, yet he still looked the same, though Nier supposed it was just more of the same dimensional magic he used to carry their supplies.

"Oh, this is perfect!" Weiss cried, laughing like a maniac. "Transformation and communication! Ha!"

"Care to explain?" Kainé asked. "Or did you finally lose it?"

"Oh, do shut up! I have obtained the power you can only dream about!"

Was Weiss about to go on another 'bow before me, you lowly peasants' speech?

The Grimoire kept cackling. "Well? Are you not going to ask about my brilliance?" he demanded.

"As if you're not going to talk our fucking ears off anyway," Kainé scoffed.

"Please, tell us," Nier asked, deciding to just humor him.

"Neela had the power to see the structure of any spellwork and Zlato had the power of transformation. Add that to the magic I have received from Rubrum, and I should finally be able to transform Emil back to human! And not only that: with Verde's communication magic I should be able to create a translation spell, giving anyone the ability to understand Gestalts!"

"Really?!" the boy cried. "Oh, thank you, Weiss!"

"That's brilliant!" Nier agreed. "And if everyone can understand each other, we can finally stop all this fighting."

Weiss shifted uncomfortably, "…Well, I certainly wouldn't be able to change everyone at once. That would require far more power than I currently have."

"So what?" Nier shrugged. "Even if it's just a few people, it's still more than worth it."

"Let me deal with Emil first," Weiss replied. "Then we'll see how much effort it takes to make someone understand Gestalts."

* * *

Weiss and Emil retreated to the far side of the cavern, unsure if the transformation would give Emil his petrification powers back. It was better to be safe than sorry and they got too far to make stupid mistakes now.

Nier watched the magic flow around them, their quiet voices incomprehensible from the distance. It took a while before the half-formed spells coalesced into something working, the power exploding outwards then imploding back in.

Emil let out a startled cry then started laughing, "It- it worked! It worked!"

Nier immediately ran towards him, the others following suit.

Emil looked completely human, exactly the same as on the day they met. He shakily stood up, one hand covering his eyes and the other holding onto Weiss for stability.

"My powers are back," he said. "But I think I can control them now. And Weiss showed me how the transformation works, so I can change whenever I want!"

Nier pulled the boy into a hug, "That's amazing news, Emil." He grinned and added, "Now all the girls will be yours."

"I remember you singing a different tune," Weiss muttered.

Emil blushed, looking down, "Oh… Well… I don't- I don't really… like girls?"

"All the boys then."

"Unless you have your eye on someone in particular?" Weiss prompted.

Emil paled then blushed even more, stammering something incomprehensible.

"Perhaps I should tweak the spell somewhat?" the Grimoire mused. "I don't think human beings are supposed to change colors like this."

Kainé rolled her eyes and grabbed Emil's hand, tugging the boy towards her, "Don't faint here, kid."

Emil hid his face in her arm, mumbling his thanks.

Nier looked at them, perplexed. He had a strange feeling that he was missing something.

* * *

With one tremendous task accomplished, Weiss started to work on the translation spell, choosing Nier as his guinea pig. Well, it wasn't like there was anyone else to experiment on: Kainé could understand the Gestalts already, the Shadowlord was one himself, and Emil had more than enough transformations for the day.

Nier trusted Weiss to know what he was doing, so he simply waited while the Grimoire laid out the groundwork.

"And… ready!" Weiss said. "Last chance to back off."

"Didn't you say that the spell wasn't dangerous?" Nier asked. "Let's just do it."

"Very well," the Grimoire replied, activating the spell.

Nier flinched slightly, feeling a strange pressure building inside his head, but it faded just as quickly as it began.

"Done," the Grimoire announced. "How do you feel?"

"Nothing different," Nier replied.

"But you should be able to understand me now," the Shadowlord said.

Nier couldn't help but stare. The Gestalt's speech still seemed like a strange arrangement of noise, but the words somehow appeared in his mind, bypassing his ears completely.

"I do! I can understand you!"

The Shadowlord grinned, "Well, this will make things easier."

"Indeed. No longer will I have to serve as a mere translator!" Weiss crowed.

Nier hid a grin, shaking his head, but in truth, Weiss deserved to be as smug as he wanted.

* * *

The journey back was just as unpleasant. The ancient subway seemed even shakier than before, making everyone keep their defensive magic charged and ready out of sheer nervousness. Once the ride was over, the group piled out, nearly kissing the ground.

"…Let's not do this again," Nier said, glaring at the evil technology. The others only groaned in agreement.

They settled for a quick rest, not feeling up to moving out immediately, and Weiss took the time to use the translation spell on Emil as well. The kid was still beaming happily, delighted to look human again, even if he was forced to change back to his skeletal form once they exited the facility, the desert far too harsh otherwise.

They had reached the canyon eventually, camping out at the bottom where there was more than enough darkness and water.

"So… Project Replicant?" Kainé prompted, leaning against the rough stone wall. "We were nice enough not to bug you about it but it's been two days already, so spill it."

Weiss and the Shadowlord exchanged reluctant looks then nodded to each other.

"You are right," the Grimoire said. "It is time we laid all our cards on the table."

"And… I'm sorry for not telling you sooner," the Shadowlord added. "I know, it's not much of an excuse, but… for the longest time I didn't think it was even possible to fix this. It was just so much easier to stay silent…"

"But with all the magic I have obtained," Weiss continued. "We really should be able to do something. So this is what Project Replicant is: the flip side of Project Gestalt, the other half of the plan to save humanity from White Chlorination."


	38. No More Secrets

**Chapter 38: No More Secrets**

How were you supposed to tell someone that their entire existence was a lie?

Nier pressed the edge of his wing to Weiss' cover, drawing strength from his acceptance.

"Gestaltization was never meant to be permanent," the Grimoire began. "It was a temporary measure, needing only to work until White Chlorination was fully eliminated. It didn't matter if the Gestalts were unstable – relapsing could be countered."

"Yes, I lied," Nier added. "I've known all along that there was a way to prevent relapsing. But the cost is too high."

"Existence as Gestalts for prolonged time was considered far too dangerous," Weiss continued. "That is why Replicants were created: artificial bodies to house severed souls."

"Like robots?" Emil asked. "Or like Halua and I?"

Weiss swayed from side to side, "Some of this, some of that… They were flesh and blood, looking the same as the people they were made for, but they were mindless shells, used by the overseers as a workforce and foot soldiers. It didn't matter if they died: as long as Gestalts existed, Replicants could be created from them. And so the Gestalts fell asleep, centuries passing until things began to change. The Replicants gained sentience. Sapience. Minds and souls and the will of their own."

"But they remembered nothing about their origins," Nier continued. "They thought they were human. Except… there are no humans left in this world."

Heavy silence greeted his words, so he forged ahead, "Unification, _possession_ was made impossible: two minds can't exist in one body. And once a Gestalt relapses, their Replicant dies from Black Scrawl. Only one way is known to prevent it: destroying the minds of Replicants, condemning them to a fate worse than death, just so that their Gestalts can live on, taking over their bodies… There has to exist a better way."

Silence reigned once again, until Kainé started to laugh, "Oh, this is fucking rich! Are you saying that none of us, not even those dicks in the Aerie, are human?! Ha!"

Weiss fluttered his pages, "That is… correct, though hardly the reaction I expected."

Kainé snorted, "Humans, Replicants… What's the fucking difference? This shit is hilarious!"

…One down, two to go?

Emil twisted his hands around his staff, "We can fix it, right? We've found all this magic… There's got to be a way to help everyone!"

Two down? Nier looked at his Replicant, whose reaction scared him the most.

The man was quiet, looking down with a frown. He raised his head, a bitter smile twisting his expression, "So that's the big secret, huh? I would've stayed silent too…" He dragged a hand down his face, "I want to blame someone so badly but this- this is really no one's fault, is it? It's funny: we could've been enemies so easily…"

Nier shivered slightly. He could see it too: all of them on different sides, with no one attempting to patch the distance. How far would either of them go to achieve their goals?

"But we're not," his Replicant continued. "And that- that won't change."

"And we can fix it now!" Weiss proclaimed. "I can finally see the magic binding Gestalts and Replicants and I should certainly be able to rewrite it! We can access the Lost Shrine now or search for more Grimoires or even try to contact the overseers and get some answers out of them. And let's not forget that Grimoires and Snow White weapons are Gestalts in artificial bodies as well, yet none of us has relapsed. These can also become avenues to explore. So do not fret: we still have hope and none of us will rest until we fix this mess."

* * *

"Speaking of possession," Kainé began, as they slowly trudged across the desert, the rocky cliffs giving barely enough shelter from sunlight. She tapped her temple, "How the fuck could this asshole possess me? Because I'm pretty sure I'm not his fucking Replicant!"

Nier shrugged helplessly, "No idea, honestly. I didn't know that's what happened to you, didn't even know this was possible until I heard him speak in the Lost Shrine. …Weiss?"

The Grimoire rustled his pages, "I will need to do more research on the matter but this fact alone proves that there is much we do not yet know about Gestalts and Replicants."

Kainé frowned slightly, her attention turning inwards, "The asshole says that my Gestalt is gone and that he's the one keeping Black Scrawl at bay."

"…I cannot say how accurate this statement is," Weiss said. "But I will attempt to determine the truth nonetheless."

"He sounded way too gleeful," Kainé scowled. "Besides, he's a dick, but I don't remember him ever lying. Just fucking figures… Well, feel free to experiment on us: it's not like there are all that many ways to make it worse."

"Don't jinx it," Nier muttered. "But you can use me too: at least I won't relapse." He turned to his Replicant, "You don't mind, do you?"

His Replicant, the other Nier shook his head, "No, it's fine. As long as it helps others…"

"From now on, they are going to agree on everything and team up against us," Kainé stage-whispered to Emil. "Just you wait."

The boy giggled with a slight edge of hysteria in his voice, "We were wondering why you look so similar. I guess now we know!"

"It is quite a mess," Weiss agreed. "But it does answer plenty of questions, does it not?"

The other Nier smiled wryly, "I was wondering why you refused to tell us your name. Never would've guessed the truth… And speaking of, do we call you 'Nier' now?"

Nier shook his head, "That would probably get confusing. 'Shadowlord' is fine: it's not like you mean any reverence with it."

"If you say so."

They stayed silent as the sand gave way to grass, all of them too tired to talk much. The other Nier huffed a breathless laugh, as the gates of his village grew closer, "You know what's funny? Our goals are still the same. We have to cure the Black Scrawl and stop the Gestalts from relapsing. It's just that now we know it's an exact same thing."

"Let's leave the talk about our next move for tomorrow," Weiss suggested. "It's been quite a day."

Kainé snorted, "No kidding. If someone wants to make a campfire, then be my guest. I'm too fucking tired to bother with it."

Nier grimaced, "It's warm enough as it is."

"Lazy ass."

"Look in the damn mirror."

"I don't really feel temperature," Emil added to the half-hearted griping.

"Oh no, you are not staying outside!" the other Nier exclaimed. "We're all going home and I'm not taking no for an answer!"

* * *

 _A/N: At this point everyone is still in a bit of shock. Then again, there wasn't much of a reaction to the big reveal in canon either, so what the hell do I know?_


	39. Uneasy Rest

**Chapter 39: Uneasy Rest**

For all Kainé's worries, it was her clothing (or rather lack thereof) that drew the attention of the villagers and not her possessed status. Emil was just glad to be around other people without scaring or hurting them. The Shadowlord had to fly around and teleport straight into the house, but it wasn't a hard thing to do without anyone to carry along.

Yonah was absolutely delighted to see them all again, especially after Weiss repeated his translation spell for her, even if they did wake her up. She fell asleep again soon enough, the rattled and weary team following suit.

Kainé and Emil crashed on the first floor, sharing the bed, while the Shadowlord claimed the darkest corner he could find, wrapping an old blanket around himself for good measure. Nier went upstairs and quietly settled with his back to the wall, unwilling to wake up sleeping Yonah.

He looked at his daughter's peaceful expression, remembering another Yonah, sleeping in the heart of the mountain. What if there really was no way to save her? If the choice lay between death and possession…

Something hit the side of his head, jolting him awake. Nier stared at Weiss floating before him.

"Don't go into an existential crisis on me," the Grimoire said quietly. "What is the matter?"

"Weiss…" Nier rasped. "Can you do this? Can you really save her?"

The Grimoire sighed, "I have told you before: I will do everything in my power to fix this. Nothing is yet certain, but we have made more progress in these last days than we did in the months before. So have some faith, will you?"

Nier took a shuddering breath and nodded, "I- I'll try."

Weiss floated down, settling on his lap, the warm solid weight enough to ground him in the present. Nier pressed his hand to the silver cover, feeling a faint pulse of magic beneath.

"It's going to be fine," the Grimoire murmured. "We will fix this. We will stop the Gestalts from relapsing and they will not need to possess anyone. There will be no Black Scrawl, no war… Everything will be fine, I promise."

Nier shuddered and wrapped his arms around the Grimoire, pressing his face to the silver cover. Weiss stayed in his arms for the rest of the night, even when tears ran down his pages.

* * *

Emil had to wear a blindfold again. His head hurt so much from everything that happened, he really wasn't sure he could control his petrification powers. And the darkness was… comforting. Familiar.

He really needed something familiar right now.

It was so weird to think that there were no humans left in the world. Actual humans, not just their severed souls. It was weird but… not bad. It didn't really matter if they were human or not, did it?

Emil rolled over and buried his face in the old pillow. He wanted to sleep. He probably _needed_ to, but there was just so much on his mind. Everything was happening so fast…

He shifted again then stilled, feeling Kainé loop one arm around his shoulders.

"Go to sleep," she muttered, drawing him closer. "This day needs to be fucking over already. We can deal with all this shit tomorrow."

Kainé was right. Emil rested his head on her shoulder and finally started to relax. They would deal with it together. This was what friends were for, right? Helping each other?

And they _were_ friends, and they would _stay_ friends and it wasn't going to change. Ever.

* * *

Kainé wanted to laugh again. She was already a freak, what did it matter to her if she wasn't human in the first place? No, what she found funny as all hell was that everyone else she knew, all those assholes who hated her for existing weren't human either.

It really highlighted how fucked up this whole world was.

Kainé wondered briefly, whether her Gestalt was as much of a freak as she was. She supposed she would never find out now. Her Gestalt was dead… Pity. Kainé might've liked to meet her.

Oh well, that was life.

(She didn't want to think about her grandmother, didn't want to guess if her Gestalt still existed somewhere. Her grandmother was _dead_ and someone wearing her face wouldn't be _her_.)

She pulled Emil closer, wishing for the sleep to come faster and ignoring Tyrann's taunts about her going soft. Maybe she was. So what? There was still more than enough hatred in her heart to keep him at bay.

* * *

Weiss didn't require a lot of sleep, so he used this time to experiment, having obtained the permission already. He plucked the magic bond tying Nier to his Gestalt, studying it closer in another attempt to decipher the complex structure.

He could barely understand the spellweave, though he could see how deep it went. This bond wasn't something merely tacked on: it was fully integrated into the magical matrices of both Gestalt and Replicant. He had to be careful: damaging the matrix in his attempts to rewrite the bond would spell disaster.

Weiss shuddered slightly, resisting the urge to flutter his pages. For all his assurances, he truly didn't know whether he could do anything, the patchwork knowledge he stole from his brethren only enough to make him understand how much he still didn't know.

But he had to try. He was the only one who could.

* * *

Not for the first time Nier regretted that night no longer existed, at least in this part of the world. Usually it was more of a practical concern, considering how dangerous the sunlight was to him, but this time… This time he wanted to hide in the darkness where no one could see him ever again.

He felt exposed in this perpetual light, not that he had anything left to hide anymore. It felt strange and mildly terrifying to have everything in the open. It felt like a great weight was lifted off his shoulders… and was hanging above his head instead.

…It was probably just his usual paranoia manifesting itself. After all, his friends had accepted this revelation like all the others, and even if their reactions were dimmed with shock and exhaustion, he could see that their trust hadn't faltered.

So why then did he feel like there was a storm approaching?


	40. Regaining Equilibrium

**Chapter 40: Regaining Equilibrium**

A loud shriek echoed through the house in the early hours of the morning.

Nier scrambled to his feet, grabbing his sword and bolting downstairs, Weiss flying quickly after him. Were they under attack? Had one of the villagers seen them?

…Apparently not.

"What happened?" Nier asked, looking first at scowling Kainé, then at tomato-red Emil, then at his Gestalt who looked just as bewildered and ready for battle as him.

" _Nothing_ ," Kainé growled, elbowing Emil slightly. The boy became even redder, which Nier didn't even think was possible.

"Don't ask me," the Shadowlord said, returning his sword to the subspace pocket. "I just woke up."

"Oh, I think I know what the matter is," Weiss drawled. "Might it be that someone realized _where_ exactly they have spent this night?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Kainé hissed. "And what the hell were _you_ doing?"

"Nothing much," Weiss flippantly explained. "But I did have to bludgeon this fool over the head since he refused to fall asleep."

Nier somewhat self-consciously rubbed the imprint of the Grimoire's cover on the side of his face. As it turned out, using a heavy metal-covered book as a pillow tended to leave marks.

" _Sure_ ," Kainé drawled. "We totally believe you."

Nier had a strange feeling that he _really_ didn't want to know what they were talking about.

…Well, at least the latest revelation didn't affect the team dynamics: Nier had faith in his friends but there was still an underlying fear that something would change now that everyone was more awake and enough time had passed for the shock to fade, but he shouldn't have worried.

Nier looked at the narrow windows of his home, bright sun shining through. If his teammates were going to keep visiting (and if he had any say in it, they were), it was probably a good idea to cover them, not only from sunlight, but also to keep anyone from seeing their colorful group, which would be rather unfortunate and hard to explain.

His team agreed, getting to work, which seemed like a good enough distraction from whatever was bothering Kainé and Emil.

Nier took a few minutes to go back upstairs and wake Yonah. He debated inwardly whether to tell her anything about the recent revelations or not, before finally deciding on _not_. Keeping her completely in the dark didn't seem like the best decision, but the whole truth left even _him_ rattled. He'd tell her eventually, but he still needed to process this information in its entirety himself.

Instead Nier walked down the stairs hand-in-hand with Yonah, who immediately bolted towards his friends, rambling excitedly and burying them under a mountain of questions. Nier managed to distract her by starting to make breakfast, digging through the shelves for something edible.

Everyone else immediately tried to help, crowding the already tiny kitchen. Nier had his feet stepped on more than once, Kainé and Weiss nearly came to blows over an overturned pot, and the Shadowlord nearly set his own wings on fire and was now glaring at the stove like it personally offended him. Emil had to switch to his skeletal form and float near the ceiling just to avoid being knocked over, while Yonah gleefully added to the commotion.

Amidst all this noise, surrounded by his friends and family, Nier felt truly at home.

* * *

After the breakfast Nier somehow managed to herd his daughter upstairs with minimal fuss, even if she still complained about not being allowed to hear the grown-up talk, but an uncensored discussion of their next move really wasn't something she should hear.

"And now back to the task at hand," Weiss said. "If everyone is done with idle chatter, that is."

"Right," Nier nodded. "What should we do next?"

"I think we should all agree that the Lost Shrine is our best bet, even if we do not exactly know what awaits us on the other side," Weiss said.

The Shadowlord shivered, "How about _not_? I have a really bad feeling about this."

"I wasn't aware that your skillset included seeing the future," the Grimoire snidely remarked. "I will continue my attempts to decipher the spellweave that binds Gestalts and Replicants together but this is not something I can rush. We can't exactly afford to make mistakes."

"Would it help if you could observe more of them?" Nier asked.

"It might," the Grimoire replied. "I need to figure out the commonalities and the differences between the bonds in varying circumstances."

"Then you should do this while I look around: there might be some job offers."

"Oh no, not another round of menial tasks!" Weiss complained.

Nier frowned at him, "Money doesn't grow on trees, you know."

"Don't you have transformation magic now?" Kainé asked. "Just make some gold or something."

The Grimoire huffed, flipping his cover open and loudly rustling his pages, "I would also much like to turn you into a nice, _silent_ toad, but this is not how it works."

"Why not?" Emil asked. "You transformed _me_ and that's gotta be way harder than making money!"

"On the contrary: the ability to see spellweave that I have gained from Neela was more than enough to fix your shape. Zlato had only filled the gaps I would've needed to figure out myself otherwise. You already had the power to switch between forms, it was merely… faulty. I have rewritten parts of the spell in question, but the basics were already there. To put it simply, there was almost no transformation magic required. I do not yet have the skill to change physical objects like Zlato did, and even then there is a large difference between changing the shape of an object and rearranging its atomic structure."

"Conclusion," Kainé said, "You talk too much."

Weiss sputtered in offence, rising in the air, several pages detaching from his cover, poised to strike. The Shadowlord quickly wrapped his wings around the Grimoire, keeping him from physical retaliation, "How about we _don't_ destroy this place?"

Kainé snorted, completely unbothered, and lightly elbowed Nier, "Do you regret inviting us in yet?"

He grinned and shook his head, "Never."

* * *

 _A/N: I was highly tempted to call this chapter 'The Morning After' but I didn't want to give any wrong ideas._


	41. Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 41: Calm Before the Storm**

"So, do we explore the mystery behind the dimensional barrier within the Lost Shrine or do we run more menial errands?" Weiss asked, once he had calmed down enough to talk. "Choices, choices…"

"I'm voting for errands," the Shadowlord said, raising his hand. "Going into the Lost Shrine means dealing with the androids."

Kainé rolled her eyes, "And you have issues with them. We remember."

"That's putting it mildly," the Gestalt grumbled.

"But we have been trying to get there for so long!" Emil protested. "Who knows what we can find there!"

"Trouble," the Shadowlord flatly replied.

"We _always_ manage to find trouble," Weiss countered. "Are we really going to let it stop us now that we are finally close to our goal?"

"How do you know that the Lost Shrine is going to be in any way helpful?" the Gestalt asked, flaring his wings slightly. "Isn't the magic you gained a more likely answer?"

"And who knows how much time _that_ will take?"

"What, is the great Grimoire Weiss doubting his own skills?" Kainé needled. "I think you are just too lazy to figure out the solution yourself."

"Shows how much you know!" Weiss bristled. "Why don't _you_ try to rewrite a spell this complex?! Then again, you are incapable of choosing normal clothing, why should I be surprised that the intricacies of magic are well beyond the capabilities of your narrow mind?"

The Shadowlord stretched his wings, using them to push Kainé back, before she lunged at the Grimoire. Nier wrapped one arm around Weiss, pressing his cover closed, and exchanged commiserating looks with his Gestalt, both of them sighing in unison.

"…You know, that's kinda creepy," Kainé said. "You even act the same."

"How in the world did we not notice it before?" Weiss wondered, distracted from his anger. "There are so many similarities between you…"

Nier shrugged, letting him go, "Of course we act similar. Aren't we technically the same person? And how in the world could we suspect something so… out there?"

His Gestalt grimaced, folding his wings, "I wouldn't say we are _same_. If we lived the same lives and if we had the same memories, then _maybe_ , but we _don't_. It's our experiences that define our nature, not just our origins."

Kainé gave him a thumbs up, "Nice philosophizing. And you're even sober!"

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't," the Shadowlord grumbled.

"Anyway, it's two for going to the Lost Shrine and two against," Kainé said. She looked at Nier, "What's your vote?"

Nier sighed. They all had a point.

"How about this?" he proposed. "We'll spend a day or two dealing with whatever side jobs I manage to find and stock up on money a little. Meanwhile, Weiss can try to figure out this magic. If we don't see any signs of progress, then we'll go to the Lost Shrine."

This seemed to placate everyone, even if there was still some grumbling. After the stalemate from before, it felt really good to have so many options available.

* * *

Even if it was caused by his own lack of progress with magic, Weiss still couldn't help but gloat, "Well-well-well, it seems that my suggestion was an accurate one after all! Thus the Lost Shrine is our next destination, _as it should be_."

"Sabotage," Kainé coughed.

"Silence, peasant," the Grimoire replied imperiously.

"And here I thought I was the only lord here," the Shadowlord commented, earning dual glares.

"Actually," Emil said, turning towards Nier. "Aren't you one too? I mean, if he's the Shadowlord, shouldn't you be the… the… the Lightlord?"

Nier blinked, "That's- No. Just… _no_."

Kainé cackled, "Why not? It's fucking perfect!"

"And here I thought that your usual profanity-laden expressions would be the worst thing I have heard in this uncivilized company," Weiss commented. "Clearly, I was mistaken and we have sunk to a new low."

His Gestalt was laughing too hard to say anything. Nier gave him a betrayed look, "Is this revenge?"

"If your title offends you so much, why didn't you choose a different name upon our first meeting?" Weiss asked.

"Because I have no imagination," the Gestalt managed to reply through laughter. "And I don't really mind the title: at least it's useful."

"Also funny as hell," Kainé added.

Nier clapped his hands, trying to get his team back on track. "Anyway, back to the Lost Shrine. Do we have any idea what we'll be getting into once we get through the dimensional barrier? I tried asking Popola, but she doesn't know anything about it."

"It's the central research facility," his Gestalt replied. "It's mostly abandoned, but there is a working processing plant underground and a storage for purified maso. I haven't explored aboveground much, but it looks like city ruins. I don't know if there's anyone in there aside from the overseers, but there could be some Gestalts around."

"That doesn't seem particularly dangerous," Weiss mused.

The Shadowlord jerked his shoulder in a half-shrug, "Maybe. But I have no idea what the overseers are capable of. I've seen them teleport, so they can certainly use magic."

"We gotta be careful," Emil said. "Teleportation needs a lot of power, so these overseers must be strong."

"We're pretty damn strong too," Kainé replied.

A sudden knock on the front door made them all freeze. The Shadowlord tensed, getting ready to run or hide. It wasn't a good idea to let anyone see him.

The knocking continued, growing more insistent, and with a sigh Nier went down the stairs to open the door, Weiss floating after him.

A villager he recognized as one of the librarians working with Popola was standing there.

"Nier! I'm so glad you are still here!" she greeted him in a rush. "Popola sent me to find you because she really needs to see you."

"She did? What for?"

The librarian shook her head apologetically, "Sorry. I don't know what's going on, but Popola said it was _really_ important."

Nier exchanged bewildered looks with Weiss but nodded, "Alright, we'll go see her."

* * *

Nier was still frowning at what Popola told him when he returned home.

Kainé rolled her eyes at his expression, "What now? Is there another random-ass job for us to do?"

"It concerns the Aerie," Weiss said. "Something strange is happening there."

"Define strange," Kainé scoffed. "Did those assholes do something more assholish than usual?"

"After being closed off for so long, the village was opened for trade and various merchants were invited in," Nier explained.

"…Okay, that's strange," Kainé agreed. "What the hell?"

"The mere thought of these close-minded bigots overcoming their xenophobia is ludicrous," Weiss said. "Which is why Popola urged us to investigate. Not to mention, there are reports of increased Gestalt activity nearby."

The Shadowlord rubbed his temples, "Great, more trouble… And we haven't even started yet. I told you that I had a bad feeling about this."

"How urgent is it?" Kainé asked.

Nier exchanged concerned looks with Weiss, "The way Popola talked, it sounded pretty urgent. I'm not sure why, but she usually isn't the one to panic."

His Gestalt sighed, "Let's go investigate then. Hopefully, it's nothing serious."

* * *

 _A/N: Famous. Last. Words._

 _Also, thanks to **SomebodyLost** for continuing to give me amazing ideas!_


	42. Save Our Souls

**Chapter 42:** **Save Our Souls**

It _hurt_. Everything _hurt_ , the struggle of two minds vying for control almost tearing her into pieces.

"Belle!"

She groaned, kneeling in the middle of a walkway and clutching her head.

"Belle, sister, please!"

"…Peter…"

"Please, you're scaring me… Belle!"

She could feel her brother shake her shoulder. She had to get a grip, had to stay in control…!

"He is not _your_ brother!" a voice screeched inside her mind. "Get out, you monster! Get out, get out, get out! This is _my_ body, _my_ life!"

Belle groaned and curled in, her forehead hitting the wooden walkway, "Stop, please… I didn't want this…"

"Then get out!"

" _I can't!_ I want to but I _can't!_ "

Her skin _burned_ , dark symbols crawling over her body. She couldn't breathe, the power building up inside her threatening to rip her apart.

No, no, no! She was relapsing!

"Belle, come on… You're going to be fine, sis…"

Peter! She lurched to her feet, stumbling away from him. If she relapsed, she was going to hurt her brother. She had to stop it!

"I won't let you hurt him, you monster!" the voice screamed, and she felt her control slip further.

"You're making it worse!" she screamed back, whether aloud or inside her head she didn't even know. "Stop fighting me or both of us will die!"

It only made the other struggle harder.

The madness was creeping in, clawing at her insides. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop…!

The wave of power washed over her, the darkness so deep, it swallowed down her madness. Her blood burned in recognition and she fell to her knees before the Shadowlord descending from the sky.

"Belle? Who is that?" Peter asked, his voice wavering. "…He makes me feel funny."

"So that's the one you answer to?" the voice hissed acidly. "The lord of monsters?"

Other-Belle, other-her, she was still there, in the back of her mind, gathering strength for another battle. But Belle could finally _breathe_ and _think_ , and she clasped Peter's face, searching for a sign of her own brother within him. She could feel him, _her_ Peter, he was there, just dormant, asleep, but that was good, it was good, he wouldn't relapse, wouldn't go insane-

The darkness rippled, power laced with rage crushing her down.

"I'm not going to ask _why_ you did this," the Shadowlord snarled, hauling her to her feet. "Because right now we don't have the time. You are going to stand up and _get the hell out of here_."

Belle swayed and stumbled, but he didn't let her fall. Instead he forced her to turn around and look at the main platform where the traders were-

The traders were-

" _This is why possession is forbidden!_ "

The wooden planks were red with blood and she could almost taste the madness in the air.

"Help them…" she whispered, staring in horror at the mad Gestalts running towards them. She _knew_ them, she _recognized_ them, but they weren't-

She could feel the magic flare, a crimson barrier materializing from nothing. The Gestalts ( _monsters_ ) clawed at the barrier, snarling and raging. They were warping, _melting_ , and all of her senses were screaming danger.

"Even I can't do anything to help them now," the Shadowlord said. "I can only stop them from killing more people. So run away and don't look back!"

He spread his wings and flew towards another group of Gestalts, his darkness spreading and giving them a chance to regain their sanity.

But it was too late for far too many.

She could hear the screams, people pleading for their loved ones not to hurt them-

A powerful blow from within her mind sent her reeling, the world dimming as she lost control, other-Belle clawing to the forefront. She could only watch as other-her grabbed her brother and ran down the walkway towards the exit from the village.

More monsters appeared, blocking her way (that's what they were: monsters, just monsters, it was kill or be killed), so other-Belle put her brother down and took out her sword and threw herself into battle.

…She wasn't going to win. There were too many of them, and they weren't just _Gestalts_ , they had _bodies_ now and possession granted incredible power.

They had bodies now _but so did she_.

She reached into the magic melded into her bloodstream and let it flow into the body that was hers now too. Dark symbols crawled and shadows rippled, the madness close, far too close, but not yet close enough. She still had time.

She still had time to save her brother.

Other-her tore through their enemies like a whirlwind of magic and steel and then she was running again, cradling their brother in her arms.

Something was happening, something she could barely comprehend. Something was gathering in the middle of the village, magic and darkness and madness twisting and twining, growing and solidifying into something she couldn't stand to even think about.

They had to get out!

Other-Belle skidded to a halt, backing quickly away when the walkway crumbled beneath her feet. She looked wildly around, searching for another path, but there was no time left.

"Monster!" she yelled and pointed at the main bridge. "Can you get us there?"

…What was she asking?!

"Answer me! Yes or no?!" she screamed, fear and determination ringing through her voice.

Belle surged forward, taking control and flooding their body with more power, "Yes!"

She jumped, clearing the distance as easy as breathing. Another jump took them from the middle of the bridge right to the entrance into the mountain.

She let their brother go and turned around, looking back at the village, and the nightmarish beast coming into existence right in the middle of it. Other-Belle pushed forward and she didn't fight her, retreating to the back of their mind.

"…There are still people there," other-Belle said. "We can't just leave them to die. We have to get them out… We have to help them!"

"Then I'll give you all the power you need."

* * *

 _A/N: Well, if the game isn't going to give names to the minor characters, I guess I will. Peter is named after Peter Pan and Belle after Tinker Bell. And I know that the battle with Wendy took place after the timeskip, so that these characters should be 5 years younger, but I've never been particularly good at guessing ages, so I'm leaving it vague._


	43. The Ultimate Weapon

**Chapter 43: The Ultimate Weapon**

Nier felt his blood freezing in his veins as he used every drop of magic within it, even the stable demonic element unable to recharge fast enough.

He flared his aura again and again, staving off the madness of far too many Gestalts teetering on the verge of relapsing. Why couldn't he command them? He had done it before, time and again, so why not now? Was it because of possession and the power it granted? He didn't know, didn't have the time to dwell on questions without answers. He had to save as many people as he could.

He teleported into the metal houses of the Aerie, grabbing the terrified people within and teleporting away. Spending barely a second to let them go, Nier teleported again, trying to get out as many people as possible.

The few Gestalts that managed to keep their sanity were helping too, fighting the relapsed ones or trying to drag the surviving Replicants out. Nier struggled to keep his aura active for their sake, but his energy levels kept dropping.

How much more magic could he use before this construct he called his body began destabilizing?

He tried to ignore the wails and moans of countless Gestalts and Replicants that the horrific fused monster raging at the center of the village was made of. If they were lucky, his friends would take down the massive beast and stop its rampage without causing too much destruction. Of course, luck was never something he could rely on, so Nier continued his work, aiding the evacuation as much as he still could.

Nier flew above the houses, stretching his senses and trying to pinpoint whether there was anyone left. Nothing, nothing, nothing… There!

He carved the roof open with his sword, lacking the energy to teleport again, and dove in. The people within screamed, cowering in terror, but Nier was there to save their lives, not coddle their feelings.

He dragged a young girl from her hiding place under the table and grabbed the broken piece of furniture that an elderly man tried to hit him with. Nier wrapped his arms around them both, tight enough to stop their struggles for a few precious seconds, and flew straight up. His wings ached, straining to carry so much weight, but his magic hadn't replenished enough to teleport again.

Nier flew over the other side of the village, his magically enhanced senses showing there was no one left there either. The Replicants in his arms thankfully stopped struggling, more afraid of the height than of him. Then the girl screamed, looking over his shoulder, and Nier felt a wave of powerful magic building up behind his back. He glanced behind and saw a bright sphere of energy growing quickly, destroying everything in its path.

Nier flew faster, desperately trying to outrun the destructive wave. He didn't dare to look back again when even a fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death. The distance grew, slowly but surely, and Nier could feel the energy wave slowing down and starting to dissipate. He flew out of the canyon and into the passage carved into the side of the mountain.

He barely managed to stop and land, blacking out for a second. Nier let the Replicants go and turned around, his limbs trembling with exhaustion, just in time to see the energy wave fade completely, leaving behind nothing but the remnants of metal pillars.

No…

Nier swayed on his feet and scrambled towards the edge of the ravine. His friends couldn't be dead!

Something glowed in the distance, familiar crimson color slowly drifting closer. Nier held his breath, recognizing the magic. He could see it now: a floating translucent sphere and the people within.

He stepped back from the edge, falling to his knees in relief. They were alive!

The sphere landed and dissolved, Weiss swaying in the air, visibly exhausted. His Replicant drew the Grimoire closer, and for once Weiss didn't protest, letting him support his weight rather than try to fly.

Kainé carefully laid down the unconscious Emil, pillowing his head on her knees, and held his skeletal hand with uncharacteristic gentleness.

Nier could feel the last of the tension leaving his body and exhaustion settling in instead. He looked between the four, too tired to stand up, "Are you alright? What happened?"

"We defeated that thing," Weiss said. "But the strain made Emil's powers go haywire."

Nier reeled back, "So that energy wave was his?" He had no idea the boy had so much power. "Well… then it's a good thing that the evacuation was successful and everyone still sane got out in time."

Darkness crept into the edges of his vision, his body finally deciding it had enough abuse for the day and forcing him into unconsciousness.

* * *

Nier slowly woke up, despite his body and mind protesting. He squinted at the shadowed walls of a rickety shack he recognized as Kainé's home and looked around, noticing his Replicant nearby.

"Feeling better?" the other Nier asked.

Nier sat up and stretched his wings with a groan. Everything hurt from the strain of the hurried evacuation, and his energy level was barely above the baseline. He nodded, rubbing his neck, "What happened while I was out? Is Emil alright? What about the Aerie?"

"Emil is fine," his Replicant assured. "A bit tired, that's all. The village is completely destroyed, but some people survived. The remaining Gestalts didn't relapse and no one is trying to kill each other. At least for now. Weiss is trying to explain things and Kainé and Emil are helping him."

Nier sighed in relief, pressing his back to the wall, "That's good. I was worried the others might relapse and start this mess all over again."

"I think everyone is still in too much shock to react much, but they did save each other's lives, so let's hope they won't be at each other's throats the moment we turn away."

"And to think, it's the bigots of the Aerie that managed to cooperate… Will wonders ever cease?" Nier sighed and rubbed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to sleep for the rest of the week. "Still, what the hell were they even thinking? This is the exact reason why possession is forbidden! And now so many people are dead…"

"We saved as many as we could," his Replicant replied. "At least it's better than nothing. As for why… your guess is as good as mine. We tried to ask, but everyone is still kind of a mess."

Nier reluctantly dragged himself to his feet, "Maybe they'll be more talkative with me around? Let's go and try to get some answers."


	44. Witness Accounts

**Chapter 44: Witness Accounts**

The Shadowlord still looked like death warmed over. He swayed slightly, spreading his wings for stability.

Nier reached out to steady him, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Magic exhaustion," his Gestalt replied. "It happens. Don't worry, the maso in my blood will recharge eventually and I'll be as good as new. What about you?"

Nier shrugged, "Tired, beaten to hell and back, but still alive. Weiss and Emil are out of energy too, so no healing spells available other than the barest minimum."

"Ouch," his Gestalt winced. He stretched his wings, making the orange patterns on them glow brighter, "Well, no use just standing around. Let's go. Do you have any idea what exactly we are going to walk into?"

"Last I saw them, Weiss was trying to explain the whole Gestalt/Replicant situation," Nier replied.

His Gestalt froze, "…Can I just stay here for the rest of the year?"

Nier huffed a laugh, "If it makes you feel better, I ran away too."

"No. No, it doesn't. Since I'm the Shadowlord, they're going to demand either answers or solutions, and I have none."

Nier shrugged, "Look at it this way: if you start demanding answers first, they'd probably be too scared to talk back."

"Good idea. Hmmm… Maybe I should just retire and pass my title on to you?"

"Thanks but no, thanks," Nier laughed. "Unless wings are included in the deal?"

His Gestalt grinned at him, "Sorry, I'm kinda attached to them."

Nier rolled his eyes and elbowed him in the side, "Let's just go."

* * *

A loud and familiar voice echoed over the hills like a beacon of profanity.

"That way," Nier said with a grin. Leave it to Kainé to be heard over such distance.

They crested the hill and saw Kainé, Weiss, and Emil staring down a group of villagers.

Nier was surprised to see that Gestalts seemed to be intermixed with both possessed and non-possessed Replicants.

The Shadowlord stretched his wings to the sides, trying to look bigger than he was, and flared his aura strongly enough that even Nier could feel it. He flew down the hill, dark magic rolling off of him in waves. Nier trailed slightly behind, not wanting to interfere.

"What is going on here?" the Shadowlord demanded loudly.

All the Gestalts shifted uncomfortably then knelt before him. The non-possessed Replicants looked even more uncomfortable but no one tried to run or attack yet, so Nier counted that as a win.

"Possession is forbidden," the Shadowlord said, glaring at the Gestalts. "For this exact reason. It drives us to insanity, turns us into monsters! You know this! So tell me, why did you do it?!"

No answered until one of them, a young woman, raised her head, "We didn't want this. I swear, we didn't."

The Shadowlord crossed his arms, clearly disbelieving.

She looked down, "We didn't… but others did."

"Explain."

She twisted her hands, "All of us are from the same community. You… came to us before and… told us about- well, everything. But some- some didn't care. They just… wanted to take their bodies back."

Nier tried not to cringe. He thought he had come to terms with his origins, but hearing it laid out like that still made him uncomfortable.

The woman twitched, her expression changing, "We're not just _bodies!_ We're people!"

She shuddered and lowered her head, "I know. I'm sorry…"

His Gestalt frowned at her, "Is this how you kept yourself from relapsing? Willingly swapping places?"

"Indeed," Weiss interjected, floating towards them. "Quite a show of cooperation, I say. But it is still a most fragile sort of balance."

"What else are we supposed to do?" the woman asked, her expression shifting again. "We are going to go insane and die otherwise. Just like everyone else…"

"You were the ones leading the evacuation, weren't you?" the Shadowlord asked, looking a fraction less angry.

"I- we couldn't just leave everyone to die."

"What is your name?"

"I'm Belle," she replied. "And- her name is Belle too. We- we both are Belle."

"So how did you end up in this mess, Belle?"

The woman drew a shuddering breath, "There was a lot of arguments in our community. Some of us wanted to just… wait and see what happened. We hoped that there was a way to resolve everything peacefully. The others… they didn't believe it was possible. So they decided to… take the matters into their own hands."

"And where are these people now?" the Shadowlord asked.

"Dead. All of them have relapsed and died."

Nier frowned inwardly. How convenient…

"What happened next?" his Gestalt asked.

"…I don't know," Belle replied. "One moment I was in my home underground, and the next I was in the middle of an ancient air base, possessing my Replicant."

The Shadowlord arched his wings, "Just like that?" He looked at the others, "What about the rest of you? Do you know something? Anything?"

"Whatever happened, not all of us were affected," one of the Gestalts that wasn't possessing anyone said. "Those of us who remained behind banded together and tried to find the others. Found them here, tried to help… and you know the rest."

"Anyone else?"

Everyone was silent until a small boy raised his hand, "I- uh- I've heard something."

Belle turned around and stared at him, "…Peter?"

The boy cringed, "Sorry, sis. I know, you told me to stay away from the nasty old John, but it was an accident, honest! And I didn't want him to see me, so I hid really well, and then I heard him talking to the crazy Michael and-"

"Slow down, Peter!" Belle shifted uncomfortably, "My apologies. John is- _was_ the most intent on regaining a physical form out of all of us. I think- I think it's because his brother, Michael, was relapsing."

The Shadowlord nodded and looked at the boy, "So what did you hear, Peter?"

"Well, he said that he knew where to find help. Something… something about a mine? No, a shrine! And… something about overseers?"

* * *

 _A/N: John and Michael are Wendy's brothers in_ Peter Pan _. Seemed appropriate._


	45. The Uncertainty Principle

**Chapter 45: The Uncertainty Principle**

"This is bullshit," Kainé grumbled as the team settled near her shack of a home, once they were reasonably sure that Gestalts and Replicants wouldn't start fighting the second they looked away. "Total bullshit, I'm telling you! I mean, come the fuck on! All the bad guys dead and everyone left are just poor innocent lambs? _Sure_."

"It does sound rather… convenient," Weiss agreed. The Grimoire was floating barely a foot above the ground, one of his corners dipping down. "But from a magical standpoint, it is the struggle between two minds and souls that drives so many Gestalts to relapsing. It stands to reason that the most intolerant ones would fight to the bitter end rather than try to cooperate with their Replicants. Not to mention, it is those who were already close to relapsing who would be the most willing to risk possession on the off chance it worked."

"And Belle didn't look like she was lying, did she?" the Shadowlord said. He looked ready to keel over, the pretense he kept for the villagers collapsing the moment he was out of sight.

"Neither did Peter," Nier added.

Kainé grimaced, "Fair enough. So let's assume they told the truth… where the fuck does it leave us?"

"In deep shi-" Emil started to say.

Nier covered his mouth with one hand and glared at Kainé.

She shrugged, "What? He is right."

"Unpleasant expressions aside, we do have quite a situation on our hands," Weiss said. "Possession against the will of both Gestalts and Replicants… I didn't think it was possible, yet here we are."

The Shadowlord flared his wings, "And of course the overseers are right in the middle of it! Why am I not surprised?"

"Except it's all second-hand information," Nier countered. "We have no idea how reliable it is and barely any clue about what really happened."

"I might have an inkling but that memory is still out of my reach," Weiss said. "I can feel the mental block starting to crumble but it is still not enough to access more than mere flashes of knowledge."

"Keep working on it then," Nier said. "We have to get to the bottom of this. And, I guess, we are adding another task to the list: finding the overseers."

"And breaking their fucking knees?" Kainé asked. " _Gladly_."

"Don't assume malice if negligence suffices," Weiss countered. "But I would like to know what they were attempting to accomplish here myself."

"Except where the hell are we supposed to find them?" the Shadowlord asked. "I thought they were staying behind the barrier, but if they're out and about…"

"We still don't know that," Nier replied. "No one had actually seen them, so for all we know, those Gestalts had done all of this by themselves."

He paused slightly. There was something he wanted to ask about the overseers, but he kept forgetting what it was…

"And yet, the Lost Shrine might be our best chance at finding some answers," Weiss replied. "Indeed, it seems that once again all the roads lead there."

"…Can we maybe go there tomorrow?" Emil mumbled, slumping against Kainé's shoulder. "I'm really tired…"

"Good idea," Nier nodded. His friends looked exhausted and barely awake, which he could admit was a case for himself too. "Let's go home and get some rest first. Right now none of us are in any state to investigate."

The Shadowlord frowned, "But is it really a good idea to leave all these people alone?"

Weiss rustled his pages, "At this point, there is nothing we can really do to help them. As long as they cooperate, they should be stable enough, if still rather fragile. However, studying their magical make-up was rather useful: I would much like to test a few ideas on you. That is, once my energy recharges enough."

"Still, if my presence can help…"

"You cannot remain here forever," the Grimoire replied. "And it is the first moments of possession that are the most dangerous ones. As you can see with Kainé, it is quite possible to remain possessed for years without relapsing. Besides, at the moment you don't have enough energy left to sustain your aura."

The Gestalt groaned, "Why the hell isn't it recharging? I should've had about half of my energy back by this point!"

"Stop asking stupid questions," Weiss replied. "Have you ever brought your energy level down to the baseline before?"

The Gestalt shook his head.

"Each particle of maso can contain a certain amount of energy, but the less it has, the slower it draws in the rest. Thus an exponentially longer recharge time. It's a basic scientific fact."

"Do I look like I know a thing about quantum physics?" the Shadowlord grumbled.

"I don't know what this quantum thing is, but you look half-dead," Kainé said.

"Thank you. You look like hell too."

"Quantum physics is the theoretical underbelly of magic, which I am quite glad to relearn at least in part thanks to my fellow Grimoires," Weiss explained. "Hmmm… Wasn't there something about a cat that was half-alive and half-dead?"

"A cat?" the Shadowlord asked. "I thought animal studies were done on rats."

"Indeed. Rats, mice, and rabbits were the usual go-to animals."

"So why a cat then? And what's the point in making it half-dead?"

"Okay, what the hell are you two idiots talking about?" Kainé snapped.

Weiss and the Shadowlord paused and exchanged confused looks, as if just realizing how far off the tangent they went.

"Uhhh… Dead cats?" the Gestalt said unsurely.

Nier buried his face in his hands, "Guys, focus!"

"…Right. Let's get back home before we stop making sense completely," Weiss suggested. "The villagers are somewhat fine with each other, so it should be safe enough to leave them for a while."

"Well, other than that standoff we walked into," the Shadowlord said. "What was that even about?"

Kainé snorted, "Me, actually. They just _hated_ the fact that a freak like me saved their sorry asses. Again."

"Which is baffling," Weiss said. "Over half of them are possessed now. I would have thought they would have no problem accepting you now?"

"Who the fuck said this had anything to do with possession?!" Kainé snapped.

The Grimoire reeled back slightly, "But-"

"But nothing!"

"…You know that you can tell us anything, right, Kainé?" Emil said.

Kainé sighed, her expression softening, "It's fucking private, kid."

"If… you say so," Nier said slowly, exchanging confused glances with the rest of his team.

He wasn't going to dig into his friend's soul just to satisfy his curiosity, but still… What the hell?


	46. Home Is Where the Heart Is

**Chapter 46:** **Home Is Where the Heart Is**

The tired group of friends stumbled back into the village, spending the barest minimum of effort to avoid notice. Yonah was glad to meet them, rambling about her day, though no one had the strength to react much or answer her questions with more than a few words at a time, all of them far too tired after the messed up fight in the Aerie and dealing with the traumatized survivors.

If Yonah noticed, she wasn't discouraged in the slightest.

Nier curled in the corner, the magical exhaustion catching up to him once again. He fell into a light doze, feeling the demonic element in his blood begin to recharge, warming him from the inside. He cracked an eye open when he felt someone shuffle towards him.

Emil had switched back to his skeletal form that seemed to be more in touch with his magic and sat down next to him, slumping down in exhaustion. Unlike Kainé and his Replicant, who were scrounging the shelves for food, Emil needed the sleep more. The kid was probably just as tired as him, if not more so.

Nier wrapped one wing around the boy, drawing him closer. Emil mumbled his thanks, resting his head on his shoulder, and Nier allowed himself to fall asleep fully.

* * *

Nier woke up feeling finally rested enough, his energy back to the usual level. He moved to stand up then froze when he felt someone shift against his side.

Oh, right. Emil.

He flexed his wing slightly, wrapping it tighter around the boy, and stilled again, feeling someone under his other wing as well. He blinked and looked down, surprised to see Yonah tucked into his side, a few pillows and blankets spread around her.

She looked so calm and peaceful… Such a far cry from their first meeting.

He reached to brush a lock of hair from her face. How he wished it was his Yonah back in his arms…

"She thought you looked comfortable."

Nier jerked his head up, meeting the gaze of his Replicant. He quickly lowered his hand, suddenly feeling like an intruder overstepping far too many bounds.

The other Nier only smiled wryly at him, "I'm not going to bite your head off for caring about my daughter. Besides, aren't we technically family?"

Nier shifted uncomfortably, "Shouldn't this whole situation bother you more? Especially after what happened in the Aerie."

His Replicant huffed a laugh, "Will you believe that fearing possession has never even crossed my mind? I think we've been through too much together for any mistrust to remain. Besides, if you wanted to do anything, you had plenty of chances."

"To be honest, when I found out about Replicants gaining sentience, my first thought was that there was no danger of relapsing for me, so I could just stay like this," Nier admitted. "But… I'm the only Gestalt in existence lucky enough to be stable. No one else has this option. Not even Yonah…"

"We'll find the answer," his Replicant assured. "There is still time: months, years even, so we can afford to wait. No one was able to fix this mess for centuries, but we don't know if anyone even _tried_."

"Weiss will figure something out," Nier agreed. He frowned slightly, "He has already done so much…"

"…And we just keep demanding more," his Replicant frowned as well. "It's… not really fair to him, is it?"

Nier sighed, "We have all decided to put the fate of the world on our shoulders… But Weiss is the one who has to carry most of it, simply because his skillset is the most appropriate. It's not fair but… what in this world is? And speaking of… Where is he? Or Kainé for that matter?"

An awful racket above made him flinch and press the kids closer, his magic already tracing a teleportation path.

Emil flailed slightly, waking up with a start, "Ah! What's going on?"

"Right on cue," his Replicant said, as if it explained everything. Which it did.

Nier huffed and settled back down, "Of course. Do I even want to know what those two are fighting about now? …And was it a good idea to leave them alone?"

The other Nier looked like he was starting to question his choices as well, "Now that he has seen other cases of possession, Weiss is trying to figure out how different Kainé's is. And they promised not to destroy anything."

"And you believed them?"

"…Be right back," the other Nier said, almost running up the stairs.

Nier couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Kainé stomped down the stairs with Weiss floating above her left shoulder and the other Nier walking behind them with a pained expression.

"Your house is intact, so I don't see why you refuse to leave us alone to experiment in peace and quiet," the Grimoire grumbled.

"Peace and quiet? _You?_ " Nier asked. "That's a new one."

Emil waved his hand in greeting, "Hi, guys…"

Once fully awake, the boy had bolted away from him with a stuttering squeak and was now hiding in the opposite corner from him.

"Oh, you are finally awake?" Weiss said. "And so far away… I thought you looked quite cozy together?"

Emil let out another strangled squeak. Kainé punched the Grimoire's back cover, hissing something at him.

…Nier refused to even _guess_ what this was all about.

"So, did you find anything?" his Replicant asked.

"It's too damn early for any progress," Kainé replied. "…If Weiss can even do this."

Weiss rose higher in the air, "I've had more than enough of you underestimating my skills!"

Kainé rubbed her left shoulder uncomfortably, "I'm just saying… I'm fucked up, I know it, so I'm not, you know, expecting you to suddenly pull a miracle out of your paper ass and fix everything."

"It's only been a few days," the other Nier added. "I know, we have put a lot of pressure on you and we can't even really _help_ you with this, but you don't have to work yourself into the ground."

"This messed up situation between Gestalts and Replicants has dragged on for centuries," Nier said. "A day or two won't matter much. There is still time and we have other options to explore."

"And if there's anything we can help you with, you just need to tell us!" Emil added.

The Grimoire fluttered his pages slightly, "…The sentiment is appreciated, but I have full confidence in my abilities."

"Arrogant ass," Kainé grinned.

"…What's a Replicant?"

Nier froze and looked down at the fully awake Yonah.

"What's a Replicant?" she repeated.


	47. Family Matters

**Chapter 47:** **Family Matters**

Yonah had listened in to their conversation.

…Of course she did.

Nier looked at his Gestalt who seemed to be on the verge of a heart attack. Then he looked at the rest of his team who had quickly scrambled up the stairs, leaving the two of them to explain things alone.

Traitors.

Nier inhaled and slowly exhaled. Well, he did want to tell Yonah about this, so it might as well happen now.

"Remember what I told you about Gestalts?" he began.

His Gestalt flailed slightly, "Are you seriously going to-?!"

"Uh-huh," Yonah nodded. "Long ago there was this really bad disease. It was so bad, that people were turned into Gestalts just to escape it. But that was kinda bad too, because now a lot of them go crazy and hurt people. But some are still nice!"

Nier nodded, "That's right. It can be really dangerous to exist as Gestalts, that's why in the old times people tried to find a way to transform them back into humans."

"Really?" Yonah gasped. She looked up at the Shadowlord and tugged on his wing, "But then why is everyone still black and shadowy?"

Time to fudge the truth a bit.

"Well, it didn't work like everyone expected. Instead of a Gestalt being turned human, another human just like them was created. They were called Replicants and they looked and acted just like their Gestalts did before the transformation."

"Kinda like twins?" Yonah asked.

"Exactly," his Gestalt replied, adding his own two cents. "Gestalts and their Replicants are really similar to each other, but they are still different people."

"They are still _people_ ," Nier stressed.

"Okay," Yonah nodded.

"And… here's the thing," the Shadowlord continued. "This disease, White Chlorination, was so dangerous that no one was safe from it. _Everyone_ had to be transformed into Gestalts."

Yonah blinked at him owlishly then turned to Nier, "…Dad?"

Nier plastered a smile on his face that hopefully didn't look as pained as it felt, "You and I and everyone in the world are actually Replicants."

Yonah blinked again then slowly turned to the Shadowlord. Her eyes widened even more, "…Does this mean you are my dad too?"

His Gestalt winced, "Technically-"

"More like an uncle, but yes," Nier interrupted.

When he tried to argue, Nier moved closer and deliberately stepped on his wing. The flexible limb twisted around his foot and jerked it sideways, making him stumble. He tried to ignore the snickers from his traitorous team hiding upstairs.

"I have two dads?" Yonah asked. She swayed a little, "…Okay."

"And you have a sister too," Nier added.

Yonah blinked, looking somewhat dazed, "Is her name Yonah too? …Can I see her?"

"She's in cold sleep right now," the Shadowlord said. Judging by his tone, he was seriously wondering whether he was still dreaming. "And yes, her name is Yonah too."

"Why is she asleep?"

The other Nier winced, "She is really ill. If she woke up, she would relapse. But we are looking for a way to cure her now."

Yonah picked at her sleeves that hid the inky symbols of Black Scrawl, "I hope she gets better…"

"She will," Nier assured. "And so will you. It's… actually related. You see, Gestalts and Replicants are magically connected. So if one gets ill, the other falls ill too." It wasn't exactly true, but close enough for the purpose. "But if one gets better, the other will get better too. So you see? Once we find a cure, both of you will be alright."

* * *

Yonah had wondered around in a daze, eventually going back to her room. Despite her seeming acceptance, it was still a lot to deal with.

Nier slumped down in exhaustion. This conversation was more tiring than he realized but at least it was out of the way.

"Traitors, all of you," he muttered to Kainé, Emil, and Weiss who finally decided it was safe enough to descend.

"Didn't want to interfere in the family matters," Kainé said.

"Sure you didn't."

"Consider it payback for abandoning us in the Aerie," Weiss said.

Nier winced, "Fair."

"At any rate," Weiss continued. "If everyone is finally awake, we should perhaps discuss our next move."

"Food first," Kainé disagreed.

"Oh, _fine_ ," the Grimoire grumbled. "Feed your bottomless maw! I have work to do anyway."

"Anything we can help you with?" the other Nier asked. He still looked a little out-of-it, even the ever-shifting patterns on his skin stuttering slightly.

"All that is required is for you to be in my general vicinity. I'd like to continue experimenting on your bond and attempt to smooth out the issues with possession. There is a reason it grants so much power: quite a lot of energy is required to keep a Gestalt alive, but once within a physical body, all this magic could be used for other purposes. Granted, I will not be able to fully test it with you, but I'd rather not experiment on the highly volatile people already teetering on the verge of relapsing. And then there is the translation spell… a curious case indeed."

Nier frowned, "What do you mean?"

"It has spread into the bond between you, strengthening the connection. Don't worry, it seems harmless so far. That is the trouble with magic: there is a reason why human experimentation had stopped and morality has nothing to do with it. It is simply too unpredictable."

"The ancients had no idea what they were doing, didn't they?"

"Yes, and frankly, neither do I!"

Nier shrugged, "No one expects you to know everything. …Was that what you and Kainé were fighting about?"

"No," Kainé flatly replied.

Weiss fluttered his pages slightly and turned to Kainé, "…You do realize that no one here will take issue with this, right?"

She huffed, crossing her arms and looking away, "I told you already, it's fucking private! And we have bigger problems now, so zip it!"

"As you wish," the Grimoire sighed. "…Why am I the designated secret keeper?"

"Because you actually know when to keep your annoying mouth shut."

Weiss rose slightly higher in the air, "A compliment? From you?! Will wonders ever cease?"

"Don't expect a repeat any time soon," Kainé grumbled, hitting his upper edge with her fist. "That was a one-time performance."

Nier knew that getting any information out of Kainé that she didn't want to share was next to impossible, so he decided to leave it be and started making breakfast instead.

Kainé would talk when she was ready. For now, they had plenty of other issues to deal with.


	48. Asking the Right Questions

**Chapter 48: Asking the Right Questions**

"Now, if everyone is well and rested, let's get back to work," Weiss said. "What do we intend to do now?"

Kainé crossed her arms, "Go to the Lost Shrine, I guess. You only said it to us about a hundred times."

"Hmph!" the Grimoire rose slightly higher into the air.

"It's probably our best bet at finding the androids," Nier agreed.

"I'm all for setting their asses on fire," Kainé said viciously. Despite the way she was treated by the villagers, she took the events in the Aerie personally.

The other Nier raised his hands, "Let's not jump to conclusions! We still don't know what role they played there, if any."

"Yeah? Who else could've done this shit?" Kainé challenged.

Nier shook his head, "No, you're right. This- this makes no sense. The androids know how dangerous possession is. Why would they ever allow this to happen?"

"The question isn't only who would _allow_ this," Weiss interjected. "But also who has the capability to force possession on unwilling subjects. The only possible culprits are the overseers."

"What about the other Grimoires?" Emil asked.

"My less fortunate fellows are hardly capable of acting on their own accord."

Nier froze, "Grimoire Noir! We still have no idea what happened to him!"

Weiss dipped slightly in the air, "That _is_ a possibility, and an unpleasant one for sure. If it was indeed him, I am not looking forward to this confrontation."

"Maybe he could help us?" Emil asked hopefully. "Or you could- um- eat him?"

Weiss rustled his pages, "Perhaps you are correct… Ultimately, Noir was a victim of circumstances, merely a tool for others to use. We can hardly blame the events of centuries past on him alone. And while he had killed Rubrum, we were all just trying to survive. Besides, since he was transformed while still alive just like I was, he should have kept his sanity and intelligence. He could be of great help to us."

"That doesn't mean he isn't dangerous," Nier countered. "Even his copies held a lot of power, so what will the real deal be like? And remember that project I told you about, the one to save Gestalts at the cost of Replicant lives? It was codenamed 'Noir'. Who knows what power it gave him?"

"Could this be what happened in the Aerie?" his Replicant asked.

"I don't think so. Project Noir was officially abandoned," Nier replied. "I've never managed to find a lot of information about it other than a few scattered notes, but it's not supposed to be like regular possession."

"…Oh, it isn't," Weiss whispered. "I remember now. I remember… almost everything."

Nier flared his wings. From the Grimoire's tone of voice, he got the feeling that whatever Weiss remembered, they weren't going to like it.

"When fully activated," Weiss continued. "Grimoire Noir can destroy the minds of every Replicant in existence simultaneously and force their respective Gestalts to possess them, whether they want to or not. However, in his current inactive state Noir can only force the possession in a very limited range with all the problems it entails."

"…So it _was_ Noir," the other Nier said. "Is he an ally of the overseers then? And what the hell were they trying to do in the Aerie?"

"Who cares?" Kainé replied. "We just need to find him and rip out his pages before he is activated. Problem solved!"

"Or maybe just stop this activation?" Emil asked. "How does it work anyway?"

Weiss chuckled, "Oh, wouldn't you like to know?"

He laughed quietly, his voice steadily growing in volume. For once his laughter lacked the usual arrogance and instead sounded closer to full-blown hysteria.

"Weiss!" the other Nier grabbed the Grimoire and slid his hand over the trembling silver cover. "…Are you alright?"

"…No. No, I'm most certainly not," Weiss replied. "In order to activate fully, Grimoire Noir requires a decoding system, codename 'Weiss'. Which in turn needs a set of keys to achieve its true potential. A double lock, if you will. Now, three guesses as to what those keys are."

"…Sealed Verses," the other Nier whispered.

"Correct. And with Noir resurfacing soon after I have unlocked all of them… Tell me this: how long have we been acting to achieve someone else's goals?"

The other Nier held his head in both hands, "Then this means- The overseers- Oh, god…"

"Sealed Verses, the Aerie, even my identity on the day we met… it all makes sense, doesn't it?" Weiss laughed.

The other Nier looked about to be sick.

"Do you intend to confront them?" Weiss asked.

"Confront who?" Kainé asked, looking worriedly between them. "What's the matter with you two?"

"I can't believe we never asked," the other Nier whispered. "There was always so much going on that it never really came up. And they seemed so far away, hidden behind the barrier we couldn't get through. Almost unreal…" He raised his head, "Shadowlord. What do the overseers look like?"

Nier forced his wings down, feeling more than a little unsettled, "…Like people? Just regular twenty-something women. Maybe thirty. Pale skin, red hair… I don't remember anything unusual about them. They _felt_ different but right now I'm not even sure if there really was something my senses reacted to or if it was all just in my head. If I saw them, I'd recognize them, but I don't know what else to tell you."

"Both of them were like that?" Weiss asked.

He nodded, "They looked the same. They're androids, so maybe they're both the same model."

"…So it's really them," the Grimoire said. "And to think, the enemy was right in our midst, pulling our strings all this time, hidden so well, even I couldn't detect them."

"We can't," the other Nier rasped. "We can't confront them. Not here. Not with so many people around."

Weiss tilted his upper edge slightly, "The Lost Shrine then."

"…Okay, you are starting to freak me the fuck out!" Kainé snapped. "The hell is going on?"

"Oh, it is quite simple, really," Weiss said. "We have just figured out where and _who_ the overseers are."


	49. House of Cards

**Chapter 49:** **House of Cards**

"It's Devola and Popola. It has to be them," the other Nier explained. He was swaying slightly, seemingly in shock. "I've known them my whole life… Why did I never wonder why neither of them aged?"

"Popola knew who I was," Weiss added. "She was the one who told us about Grimoire Noir and the Sealed Verses."

"Fuck!" Kainé yelled. "She told you about the Aerie too! This bitch turned everyone into monsters and she used _us_ to clean up her fuck ups!"

"Was that intentional?" Nier wondered darkly. "They know what possession leads to. Did they send us to the Aerie hoping to get rid of us?"

"I don't know. I- I don't think I _want_ to know," his Replicant whispered. "I _trusted_ them. And they killed so many people…"

"Is this why you want us to go to the Lost Shrine?" Kainé asked. "So that no one ends as collateral damage?"

"Correct. And if I can get through the dimensional barrier with them none the wiser – then all the better," Weiss said.

The other Nier looked sick again, "Except Popola knows that we can get through. Because I _told_ her."

"Not your fault this bitch turned out to be a traitor," Kainé growled.

"We've got to be careful," Nier said. "If you have all the Verses and they have Noir…"

"We can't let them activate him," Emil agreed.

"Not to mention, we still have no idea what either of them are truly capable of," Weiss said. "The risk is high but we have no other choice. We have to bring them down."

"Oh god… I let them look after Yonah so many times…" the other Nier whispered.

Nier flared his wings, "They had no qualms against holding my daughter hostage. They could do the same now."

"Like fuck!" Kainé snapped. "I'll fucking gut them!"

"My manor!" Emil said. "Sebastian can look after her. And I think the underground lab has a few defense systems left?"

"I can teleport her out and fly to the manor," Nier offered. "For that matter, I can teleport all of us out, so that no one can see us leaving."

"Please…"

* * *

"…Dad?" Yonah mumbled when Nier shook her awake. She froze, recognizing him. "Uh… Other dad?" she asked unsurely.

Nier was absolutely not in the right state of mind to deal with this issue on top of everything else.

"Hey, sorry to wake you up," he said. "But something came up. Would you mind spending some time at Emil's place?"

"Okay," Yonah nodded, searching for her shoes. "But why?"

"Something strange is going on," Nier explained. "And you will be safer there. Don't worry, it's just for a little while."

"Okay."

She followed Nier down the stairs where his agitated friends were waiting.

That seemed to shake his Replicant out of his stupor. "Yonah…" he whispered, drawing her into a hug and burying his face in her hair.

"Dad? What's going on?" she asked worriedly, hugging him back. "Is it something bad?"

"Yonah… Can you promise me something?"

She nodded, biting her lip.

"If you see Devola or Popola… Run. Run and hide and don't trust them under any circumstances."

"Are they bad?" Yonah whispered.

"…I don't know. I hope not. I really, _really_ hope not."

* * *

Nier swayed on his feet, struggling to catch his breath. Teleporting so many people was more taxing than he liked. Hopefully, his energy would recharge before he needed to use magic again: he had a feeling that breaking through the dimensional barrier wouldn't be easy.

"We'll meet on the roof of the Lost Shrine," his Replicant said. His shock seemed to be fading, replaced by cold anger. "Go."

Nier nodded and gathered Yonah in his arms, taking flight. He flew close to the cliffs, his wings almost grazing the walls, and teleported into the manor as soon as possible. He couldn't allow anyone to see them.

Yonah shivered slightly, already affected by the cursed building, "Teleportation feels weird. I like flying better."

"Once we deal with this problem, I'll take you flying whenever you want," Nier said.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Yonah threw her hands around him in a hug, though she still looked far from happy, "…Thanks, other dad."

How could she be so accepting? Nier ruffled her hair, "You are welcome, other daughter."

She giggled weakly, letting him go, "My first dad is still my real dad, but- um- I love you too. Please, be safe!"

"I will, I promise."

"And, maybe… don't hurt Devola and Popola?" she asked hesitantly. "I don't think they are bad. They were always so nice to me…"

Except it was all _fake_ and they were soulless _things_ who saw nothing wrong with killing Yonah and every other Replicant in existence.

"…We won't attack them first."

He couldn't lie to her but this was all he could promise.

* * *

Sebastian didn't need much convincing to look after Yonah, promising to hide in the underground lab and activate the remaining defense systems if anything happened. Nier was glad to hear it: he couldn't let another Yonah become a bargaining chip for the androids.

He quickly flew towards the Lost Shrine, landing on the roof where his friends were waiting, "Yonah is safe. Let's go."

They didn't waste any time, quickly entering the massive doors.

"Can you get us through?" the other Nier asked as they approached the dimensional barrier, sidestepping the rubble strewn across the hall.

Weiss floated closer to the barrier, "From what I can see, this lock requires a specific key to open: a magical artefact crafted in a very particular way. Without one to use as an example, I fear it would take far too long for me to construct one. However, there are plenty of weak points for me attack, so damaging the barrier enough to let us pass through will not take too long. Allow me to just-"

The sound of the doors opening made them all freeze.

Nier turned around and snarled at the newcomers, his wings flaring open, "Overseers!"


	50. Traitor vs Traitor

**Chapter 50: Traitor vs Traitor**

"Hey. Any chance you'll just… go back to the village?" Devola asked hesitantly.

"What you are trying to do is very dangerous," Popola added.

"Shut up, you traitorous bitch!" Kainé snarled, readying her swords. "I'm gonna rip your fucking head off!"

"We don't want to fight you," Devola said.

"It's true. We don't," Popola added.

"But you will?" Nier asked. "…Why? Why did you do all of this?!"

"You want to initiate Project Noir, don't you?" the Shadowlord said. "That's why you sent my Replicant after the Sealed Verses."

Devola pressed her lips together and Popola looked away, their expressions speaking volumes.

"Why, you lunatics?!" Weiss yelled. "Don't you know that it will destroy the minds of every Replicant in existence?!"

"You have no cause to speak so with us, Grimoire Weiss!" Popola exclaimed. "You are a traitor!"

"Traitor?!" Weiss scoffed derisively before falling silent. "…Oh, but I am. I am a traitor… because I refused to go along with your plans! I wanted to find a different way… So you took my memories!" He laughed, loud and disbelieving, "You still needed me and you needed the Sealed Verses, but you couldn't go after them yourself, fearing that such close contact would force my memories to return and I would refuse you once again. So you locked me in the Lost Shrine and waited until you had a pawn to send after me!"

"We wanted to wait until the next generation came along," Popola said with a glance at Nier. "But you have found Grimoire Weiss and we had to change our plans."

"Wait?" the Shadowlord scoffed. "That's all you do! Wait and wait and _do nothing!_ People die but you don't even care, do you?"

Popola flinched, looking away, and Devola scowled, "Big words from another traitor! You abandoned your duty! If you just did your job, none of this would've happened! We would've had more time, but you just _had_ to run. I'm surprised you still hadn't taken your shell back. Isn't that what you ruined all our plans for?"

"A shell, huh? Is that all I am to you?" Nier asked bitterly. "What about Yonah? …Oh, that's right. We're not _people_ to you, are we? We are just _Replicants_. Kill one of us, and you can just make another. Replicants, Grimoires… All of us are just tools to you!"

"As if Gestalts are any different to them," the Shadowlord scowled. "They certainly had no qualms against letting us all kill each other!"

"Please, don't be angry with us. We are only doing our duty," Popola said.

"You murdered half of my village!" Kainé hissed. "Who the fuck did it help?!"

The android glared at her, "They came to us on their own accord. The Gestalts wanted to take their shells back and we needed a testing ground. We had warned them about the dangers of possession, yet they were already close to relapsing, so all of them had agreed to try."

The Shadowlord growled, "Half of them had no idea what was going on!"

Something like doubt flickered on Popola's face, "They told us-"

"They lied!" Kainé screamed. "They fucking _lied!_ And you didn't even care enough to check! You don't give a shit about us, Replicants? Fine! But it's your fucking job to look after Gestalts and you can't even do this without fucking it up!"

"Don't you dare talk to us like this! How many people have you and your kind murdered?!" Popola screamed. "All of you are covered in blood!"

"We didn't know!" Nier yelled back. "We couldn't even talk to each other! But you knew! You knew everything and you stayed silent while everyone tried to kill each other! You could've told us! At least part of the truth, to stop the fight between Gestalts and Replicants. Why the hell didn't you?!"

"What makes you think we didn't try?" Devola snapped. "No one believed us!"

"None of our attempts had worked," Popola added. "Even the Shadowlord Project ended in failure."

The aforementioned Gestalt froze and arched his wings, "…The Shadowlord Project?"

"There was already a minor cult built around your ability to prevent Gestalts from relapsing," Popola explained. "We facilitated its spread."

"We set you up as the savior of Gestalts," Devola continued. "So that while they rejected _us_ , they would obey _you_."

"But once you were awakened, you have proven to be far too volatile," Popola said. "We had to abort the project."

"Volatile?!" the Shadowlord snarled. "You blackmailed me! Kept me prisoner! Used my daughter's life to force me into compliance! So what the hell did you expect?!"

"Two lives against millions?" Popola said. "That's just math."

Devola crossed her arms, "And the moment you ran off, you have sided with Replicants! So all our attempts to keep you away from them were correct."

"This isn't about taking sides! We're trying to stop people from killing each other!"

"And none of it really matters," Popola said. "If Project Noir is not initiated, then it is all pointless."

"Pointless?!" Nier growled. "Do you have any idea how many people have died already?! How many more will die in the future? And you say that their lives don't matter?!"

"And if Gestalts are not returned to their shells, everyone will die anyway!" Devola cried. "So what's the point?!"

"We tried to do this without Grimoire Weiss," Popola continued. "But all our attempts to bypass the double lock have failed. There is only one way for Grimoire Noir to be activated."

"You. Fucking. _Bitch!_ " Kainé screamed. "So _that's_ what you did in the Aerie?! It was all just a fucking experiment?! And if it succeeded, you were going to kill even _more_ people?!"

"You are delusional if you think I am ever going to help you!" Weiss snapped.

"You will not have a choice, Grimoire Weiss," Popola replied. "It is our duty to save humanity and we will do everything in our power to achieve this goal."

"You were supposed to find a different way!" the Shadowlord growled.

"We tried!" Devola cried. "We tried and tried, but there _is_ no other way! If we don't initiate Project Noir, then _everyone_ will die! All the Gestalts will relapse and all the Replicants you care so much about will die from Black Scrawl!"

"So fucking what?!" Kainé snarled. "It doesn't give you the right to kill us all!"

"You can't do this," Emil said quietly. "You can't sacrifice so many lives. We won't let you."

"None of us will," Weiss added. "There has to be a different way and we are going to find it."

"You might have given up," Nier said. "But we won't. We never will."

Popola shook her head, uncomprehending, "So you will keep searching for a solution that doesn't exist until the world ends? Why?!"

"Because we are human," the Shadowlord said. "And it's human to hope. Because no matter how many times we fail, _we refuse to give up_."


	51. Darkest Hour

**Chapter 51: Darkest Hour**

This was a nightmare and no matter how hard he tried, Nier couldn't wake up.

He hoped. He really hoped that even if Devola and Popola were the overseers, they didn't have to be enemies. That maybe this was just another awful misunderstanding. That the people he trusted and knew his whole life weren't going to condemn innocents to a fate worse than death…

The twins raised their staves in a synchronized movement and disappeared into the glowing portals on the floor.

Both Emil and the Shadowlord took flight, tense and ready for battle, while Kainé and Nier stood back to back, waiting for the androids to resurface.

The twins dove out of another set of portals, but no one got a chance to attack them before bright lightning sizzled through the air.

Nier groaned in pain, the magical attack knocking him to the floor. It stopped abruptly, a translucent shield flickering into existence above them. He shuddered, struggling to catch his breath, and scrambled to his feet, swaying slightly as his friends did the same.

"…Well, fuck," Kainé whispered, staring at the black book floating near the overseers.

Emil clutched his staff tighter, dissolving the shield but ready to raise a new one.

"Grimoire Noir," Weiss acknowledged flatly.

"Grimoire Weiss," the black book replied. "It's been a while. I don't suppose you have changed your mind regarding our ultimate goal?"

"As long as I am still alive, I will refuse to activate you!" Weiss hissed.

"Your opinion doesn't matter, Grimoire Weiss," Popola said, the golden hook on top of her staff glowing brightly.

Weiss screamed and flailed in the air, strange symbols glowing on his cover.

The Shadowlord quickly teleported behind the android and she barely managed to dodge, sinking into another portal. Devola blasted the Gestalt with magic but he avoided it, taking flight.

Weiss righted himself in the air, still shuddering slightly. Several symbols on his cover glowed brighter and shattered, the others fading, "Oh, I remember this… This was how you incapacitated me the first time, wasn't it?" He chuckled, "We, Grimoires, were considered too powerful to be allowed to run free, so you were given a leash to control us. Didn't account for my friends though, did you?"

"Stand down," Nier said, a last-ditch attempt at preventing the fight. "Please. We don't have to be enemies."

"Oh, I think we do," Grimoire Noir replied, "I wish it hadn't come to this, but we all have chosen our sides."

"That we did," Weiss replied. "Last warning, Noir: continue standing in my way and I will rip you apart and feed on your magic!"

Noir flipped his cover open, several pages detaching from his spine and coiling into sharp spears, "You are welcome to try. One way or another, I will be activated."

The two Grimoires rose higher into the air, attacking each other. The Shadowlord immediately joined their fight, trying to bring Noir down as quickly as possible, none of them willing to risk his activation.

Nier, Kainé, and Emil had to fight the androids, trying to prevent them from using the 'leash' on Weiss again. Kainé's magic needed too long to charge and Nier didn't want to distract Weiss by using his own, so both of them were forced into melee against the opponents who could disappear before they came close enough to attack. Thankfully, the overseers couldn't afford to attack Weiss either.

The stalemate was broken when Noir slammed into the floor with a cry of pain.

The Shadowlord slowly floated down, Weiss hovering above his left shoulder.

"Is this enough for you?" Weiss asked. "You cannot win like this."

"…No, we can't," Popola acknowledged calmly.

Devola looked away, "…I'm sorry."

The golden tips of their staves glowed brightly. A sound like shattering glass signaled a spell being broken.

The Shadowlord looked at the overseers in horror, "…What have you done?"

A tremor went through the entire building, unlike any earthquake. It shuddered once, twice, three times, the quakes making pieces of the roof crumble and fall.

Then everything went still.

And the floor exploded.

Golden tendrils shattered the stone, rushing upwards like the roots of a nightmare tree and tearing through everything in their path.

A sword fell from limp fingers.

Dark blood dripped on the floor.

The Shadowlord stared at the thick tendril piercing through his stomach as if unable to comprehend what he was seeing. The ragged remains of his left wing twitched weakly, more blood running down.

Kainé screamed in rage, the serrated edges of her swords sawing through the tendrils. They retreated with an awful wet sound, nearly tearing the wounded Gestalt in half. His magic sparkled briefly and died down, unable to heal so much damage.

And the floor exploded.

Something snapped, the sound far too loud.

Someone screamed, the sound faint and distant.

Nier couldn't breathe.

He looked down at the golden tendrils wrapped around his body and tasted blood on his tongue.

The tendrils moved, flinging him away. His back hit the wall, more snapping noises echoing in his ears. Blood rushed somewhere inside him where it was never supposed to go. He couldn't feel his legs.

Nier slowly blinked, struggling to stay awake.

Devola held Weiss by his spine in one hand, his cover glowing with the bright symbols of his leash.

The floor shuddered.

Glowing portals formed once again.

Kainé rushed towards the overseers, her swords meeting Popola's staff and breaking it into pieces. Noir sent her flying with a blast of lightning, Emil barely managing to catch her.

Devola shot the broken staff with her own magic. The golden hook at its top glowed brightly and exploded, its pieces tearing through the walls.

She gestured with her staff and the overseers sank into the ground, reappearing near the far wall, behind the dimensional barrier. The wall slid open and they walked through the revealed gates without looking back.

And the floor exploded.

The tendrils curled around the edges, shattering the stone and making the hole bigger. Something huge was trying to crawl in.

"Damn it!" Kainé screamed, cutting off the tendrils one by one. Twice as many grew to take their place. "How the fuck are we supposed to stop this thing?!"

"Oh no…" Emil whispered. "No, no, no! I can't heal you! It's… it's too much… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Nier struggled to breathe, blood bubbling on his lips. He turned his head, barely able to stay conscious, and looked at the Shadowlord.

His Gestalt couldn't even stand. He crawled closer, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.

"You can fix us, right?" Nier whispered. "Like Kainé…"

The Shadowlord, the other Nier, raised himself on shaking arms, "There will be… no coming back from this."

"But we can't die… Not now," Nier rasped. They couldn't die, couldn't abandon their friends…

His Gestalt lowered his head in silent agreement. Darkness swirled around him, growing and spreading and filling his entire world. Nier felt it creep beneath his skin, pouring into his soul, and he closed his eyes, welcoming its cold embrace.


	52. Shadow of the Colossus

**Chapter 52: Shadow of the Colossus**

The gigantic relapsed monster clawed at the crumbling floor, its golden tendrils twisting and merging into mockery of hands. It roared loudly enough to make the walls shake and every second let it drag more of its massive body inside.

Emil whimpered, watching with both hope and horror as the darkness that was the Shadowlord seeped into Nier, disappearing under his skin.

"Oh fuck…" Kainé whispered then grabbed Emil and bolted away, throwing them both on the floor. "Get down!"

The darkness exploded, washing over them and making even the monster pause.

Emil hesitantly looked up.

Nier (which of them was he?) stood up, jerking like a puppet on mismatched strings. He was covered completely in rippling layers of black and gold, his eyes blazing yellow instead of the usual blue. A wide translucent wing stretched open on his right side and he turned his head to look at the shredded stump of the left one. It twitched slightly, darkness rippling over the ragged edges, and grew back to its full length in a matter of seconds.

He tilted his head and looked at them without saying a word. Then he turned to the monster, watching it just as silently.

The giant Gestalt watched him back, as if unsure. As if afraid.

Nier picked up his sword, stretched his wings, and disappeared.

He reappeared above the monster's head and cut deeply into its neck. It roared in pain, trying to hit him with one twisted limb, but Nier disappeared once again. He reappeared and cut off the monster's hand in a single strike, darting behind it to attack its neck again.

"Fuck…" Kainé whispered, seeing another hand grow from the bleeding stump. "Look out!" she yelled, scrambling to her feet and jumping into battle.

Nier teleported away before the regrown limb could grab him and hovered in front of the giant Gestalt, summoning a barrage of dark spears. The magic constructs flew into the monster's face, tearing into its eyes and mouth. It roared and flailed in pain, its massive body slipping down into the hole it still hadn't fully crawled out of.

Kainé took the chance to attack it herself, her swords carving into the back of the relapsed monster. She cursed loudly, seeing the wound closing quickly, and darted away before the monster could retaliate.

Emil used his own magic to attack, but it wasn't enough. The awful thing shrugged off his every spell. It didn't even notice him!

Emil tightened his grip on his staff. What should he do? He wouldn't be able to petrify something this huge and powerful and he certainly didn't want to go out of control like he did in the Aerie…

He gasped suddenly, remembering something that Weiss told him. He had another form!

Emil backed away from the fight and concentrated on the magic inside him.

"Halua…" he whispered. "Sister… I need your power. Help me, please…"

The magic flowed, resonating in his bones, and his body shifted in response, changing and growing into a different shape. His world was tinted red and he could see the chains wrapped haphazardly around his now much bigger body.

Suddenly, the monster didn't look all that big.

Emil took a step forward then dropped to all fours, finding it much easier to move like this. He rushed at the relapsed Gestalt, hitting it head first and clawing at its face.

It roared and hit him with its fists, each blow hard enough to crush stone into dust, but Emil barely noticed. His sister's body could only be hurt by magic.

"I hope to fuck you're still in there, Emil!" Kainé yelled at him, taking the chance to attack the monster while it was otherwise occupied. "What the fuck?! I'm the only one in this band of freaks who's supposed to be possessed!"

Emil laughed breathlessly, "I'm fine!"

He scrambled up the monster's body, settling on its massive shoulders, and grabbed its jaws in both hands, pulling them apart. Nier immediately blasted its vulnerable mouth with more magic.

The monster twisted its arms backwards, grabbing Emil and trying to pull him off. He held on as long as he could, his fingers slowly slipping off. Kainé and Nier attacked simultaneously, cutting off both of the monster's hands. It flailed wildly and fell down, unable to regenerate its limbs anymore.

"It's working!" Kainé yelled. "We've got to finish this thing off!"

It shuddered, as if reacting to her words, and started to crawl forward, trying to climb out of the hole in the floor.

"Oh no, you fucking don't!" Kainé yelled, slashing at its side.

"Its legs!" Emil cried, trying to hold onto its thick neck. "Don't let it stand up!"

Nier sent a barrage of spears piercing through the limbs then quickly dove down, slashing with his sword. He rose into the air again when the monster flailed and roared in pain, Kainé jumping in and cutting the limbs in half.

The monster fell down, twitching weakly, and Emil pulled its jaws open again.

Nier landed in front of it and swung his sword in a circle, his magic following the movement and forming more dark spears. Then he raised his sword straight up and the magic constructs followed, merging into one giant spear. With a single gesture he let it fly right into the open jaws, tearing through the massive body and out of the monster's back.

It fell down, no longer moving, and its limbs began to dissolve.

"Fuck yeah…" Kainé breathed out.

Emil scrambled down, feeling almost dizzy from the frantic battle, "We did it!"

Nier snarled and flared his wings, raising his sword.

The monster rose once again, nothing more than a head now, supported by numerous tentacles.

"What the hell does it take to kill this fucking thing?!" Kainé yelled, barely managing to dodge its much faster attacks.

Emil yelped when the monster lashed out at him, knocking him off his feet. He quickly rose to all fours and ran towards it, moving just as fast. He tackled the monster, grabbing it around the neck and trying to pin it down.

Kainé and Nier immediately attacked, cutting off its tentacles one by one. It writhed in Emil's grip, somehow managing to break free and throwing everyone off.

"Sorry!" Emil shouted, trying to catch it again, but the monster evaded his grasp.

"Quick bastard," Kainé growled, attacking the monster and trying to corral it towards Emil. "A bit of help, you lazy ass?!" she yelled at Nier.

Magic gathered around him, forming into massive crimson arms. The constructs rushed at the monster, too numerous to evade, and wrapped around it in a crushing grip, starting to squeeze.

Kainé jumped towards it and slashed the monster's neck open, its blood drenching the ruined floor.

The monster finally fell still. Nier waited until its body dissolved completely before allowing the constructs to dissipate.

Emil sighed in relief and flopped on the remnants of the ruined floor, struggling to remember how to change forms. He somehow managed to switch back to his much smaller and more familiar skeletal form and float closer to Nier.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His magic didn't detect any injuries but still… "Ummm… Which one of you is in control now?"

"And do we need to kick your ass too?" Kainé asked.

Nier was silent. His sword slipped from his fingers.

He swayed slightly, the layer of black and gold dissolving into wisps of darkness, then fell into their arms, unconscious.


	53. Devil's Advocate

**Chapter 53: Devil's Advocate**

Weiss struggled to break free but it only made Devola's grip on his spine tighter. Her hands felt like a livewire, her magic coursing through his body and clawing at his mind, rendering him helpless.

"Stop struggling, Weiss," Noir said. "You have already lost, so spare yourself further pain and submit."

"Like hell!" Weiss rasped. "I won't obey your insane plan!"

"You will fulfill your function, Grimoire Weiss," Popola replied. "As will we all."

Devola flung him away but before Weiss could do anything to retaliate, a translucent barrier encased him. No… Not again! He refused to forget again!

His magic lashed out, searching for a weak point in the spellwork but finding nothing.

"How long will it take?" he heard Devola ask.

"Hopefully, only a few days," Popola replied.

"You better be right about this!" Noir snapped. "First your failure at activating me led to numerous deaths and now this?! What the hell were you even thinking?! Without the stabilizing influence of the Original Gestalt, all the others will begin to relapse at an exponential rate! Your actions have pushed the world closer to the brink of destruction!"

"Did it look like any of them were going to stand down?!" Devola snapped back. "Awakening the Warden was our only chance to win! And don't you dare blame the Aerie on us alone! It was your choice as well and the Gestalts gave their consent to this experiment."

Popola winced, "This wasn't supposed to happen. The Warden was only supposed to serve as a distraction…" She chuckled bitterly, "Best laid plans, right?"

"Congratulations," Noir said flatly. "You have just fucked us all over."

"Maybe if you weren't so damn useless…!" Devola snapped.

Popola laid a hand on her shoulder, her other hand brushing Noir's upper edge, "What's done is done. Don't worry, Grimoire Noir: you will be activated before any further damage can occur."

She knew nothing! Weiss could feel the threads of magic connecting him to Nier, their soul pact still in effect. If he was still alive, then so were the others! His friends were strong, they would survive this. They had been through so much worse already, what was one more monster to defeat?

(He remembered the terrible wounds that none of them were capable of healing, but there were still options. Possession was better than death and he would fix it, _he would_ , he just had to get out of here.)

* * *

The overseers left eventually, Noir staying to keep watch over him.

Weiss shifted slightly and fluttered his pages, his cover still aching. He gathered his remaining energy, fighting off the numbing effect of his prison. He might not be able to break free, but he'd be damned if he let it steal his memories again!

"…For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Noir said. "I truly do not wish to tamper with your mind, but the rash actions of the overseers left us with no other choice. …Unless you agree to fuse with me willingly?" he added, almost hopefully.

"In the words of my teammate and friend: _go fuck yourself!_ " Weiss hissed.

Noir snapped his cover open, loudly rustling his pages, "And again you refuse me?! Why? Why do you keep doing it? Do you not care for the millions of people that are going to die?!"

"And Replicants don't count as _people_ to you?!" Weiss seethed. "Because that is what your activation will lead to: all of them dead or worse!"

"And if I am _not_ activated, then both Gestalts and Replicants will die! The choice lies between genocide and utter extinction, but you are too much of a coward to do what's necessary!"

"There are other options!"

"…This again?" the black Grimoire asked, suddenly sounding very tired. "Do you truly think I enjoy this task? But there _is_ no better way. Either half of the world dies or everyone will. We have tried to find a solution so many times… Isn't it time to let go of this foolish hope and admit that there is nothing to be done?"

Weiss shuddered, swallowing his pride, "I'm _begging_ you, Noir, don't do this! We all want the same thing! We should be allies, not enemies!"

Noir laughed, loud and bitter, "We _were_ allies, Weiss! We have spent years, decades even attempting to find a solution! And all this time I stood by your side, refusing to activate for as long as there was still hope! _But there isn't one_. There is no solution, no hope… no time. And no other choice left."

"There is!" Weiss desperately insisted. "There is _always_ a choice, Noir! Isn't there something you hadn't tried yet? Anything?! I have acquired magic from other Grimoires, one that allows me to affect the bonds between Gestalts and Replicants. With your power and the knowledge that the overseers hold, we might be able to solve this! …Help me, Noir, and we might be able to save everyone. Isn't this what we all want?"

" _Might?!_ You don't have an answer, Weiss! You are asking me to gamble the fate of the world on nothing but hunches and baseless hope! We don't have time for this! Maybe if-" the black Grimoire cut himself off. "…It doesn't matter anymore."

"You're just scared," Weiss said, feeling his prison start to affect him once again. "So you'd rather give up than chance a failure. But I won't. Even if you erase my memories once again, I will still refuse you!"

"Erase-" Noir paused. "Oh. Is that what you think this spell is? There is an old saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I am very old and very tired, Weiss, but I am still quite sane."

Weiss felt a cold shiver run down his spine as he tried to frantically read the spell encasing him, "…What are you doing to me?!"

"…I'm sorry, Weiss, I truly am, though I know you will never forgive me for this. I wish there was another way but there isn't one. … _I'm so very sorry_."

* * *

 _A/N: Noir is the one character whose behavior I flat out don't get. Even Devola and Popola (as much as I dislike them) I can rationalize, but Noir?! Seriously, what the hell is his deal? Nothing he says in the game makes a lick of sense, so he comes across as either a compulsive liar, completely insane, or severely brainwashed. Or all three. But since in this house we stan rationality and logic, he gets a personality that doesn't begin and end with a delusional B-movie villain act._


	54. Snow in Summer

**Chapter 54: Snow in Summer**

The snow kept falling, covering the ruins of the world in the endless expanse of white.

Nier sat down, leaning against the broken shelves. His hands tightened around the metal pipe, the makeshift weapon cold even through the gloves.

No matter what he did, he couldn't escape his past.

The sound of approaching footsteps made him raise his head to look at his Replicant.

"I've seen this place in my dreams," he said, sitting down next to him. "Now I understand why."

Nier nodded. He tilted his head, his white hair shifting under his hood, and looked up at the overcast sky. He stretched his hand, catching the falling snowflakes, "It wasn't snow, I remember that much. It was raining salt when the world ended. I wonder why it's different now…" He shook his head, "Doesn't matter. Just memory playing tricks… None of this is real."

"But it was real once, wasn't it?" his Replicant asked.

Nier didn't reply. He peeled off one of his gloves, the pale, _human_ skin underneath looking alien, "This- this isn't _me_. Not anymore. This is just a faulty memory. I can't return to the past."

"So change it," his Replicant shrugged. "This is your world and mine. No reason for us to stay in these old ruins."

Nier blinked. That was true. This world was _theirs_.

He called upon his magic, warmth blooming inside him and spreading through his veins. He grinned at the ever-shifting translucent grey of his skin, a second layer of black and gold rippling over it, and stretched his wings, the markings on them blazing orange.

"Now that's more like it!" his Replicant grinned back.

Nier looked at the ancient ruins around them. They belonged in the past, in the cold summer of 2049. There was no place for them in the present.

The world around them shifted, the ruined buildings twisting into mountains, the snow melting and giving way to grass and flowers.

"Kainé's place?" his Replicant wondered, glancing around.

"Appropriate, isn't it?" Nier asked. This was where they first shook hands, agreeing to walk the same path. He laughed, "I really had no idea what I was getting into that day, didn't I?"

The other Nier smiled wryly, "To be fair, neither did I."

"…Have you ever regretted it?" he wondered.

"I have a lot of regrets, but this? This isn't one of them. I'm glad I met you. And I would make the same choices in a heartbeat."

"What now then? We can't stay here forever. Besides, our friends are going to worry."

His Replicant tilted his head, looking at the clouded sky, "We defeated that thing at least, didn't we?"

"We did."

That fight was so hard to remember. It was a blur of magic and adrenaline, both of them moving on instinct, their minds so close, it was impossible to tell which of them was in control.

"Will it always be like this?" his Replicant, the other Nier, wondered.

"Maybe it will. Maybe we'll have to swap back and forth, like all those people in the Aerie. Maybe one of us will stay and the other will disappear. Or maybe both of us will be gone and someone else will wear our skin… I don't know."

"I guess we'll just have to find out," the other Nier replied.

"Doesn't it scare you?" Nier asked. "Nothing is going to be the same."

The other Nier smiled and shook his head, "That's just life. Everything changes and nothing stays the same. But whatever happens… whatever we become, we will always care for our friends and we will always love Yonah. So does it really matter in the end?"

"…No, I guess it doesn't," he smiled too, stretching his hand.

His Replicant grasped the offered hand and Nier tugged him to his feet, the world around them fading.

"Come what may."

* * *

He woke up to blinding pain, two lifetimes of memories jumbled together. He could see himself through his own eyes, the infinite kaleidoscope of reflections shattering and collapsing, their shards slicing across his mind. He couldn't understand what was happening, who or what he was, until a voice called to him through the distorted haze, more important and familiar than anything in the world.

"Yonah…" he whispered weakly.

"Dad! You are awake!"

He struggled to open his eyes, the light blinding him for a second and making him flinch. A shadow fell over him and he dared to look up again.

Yonah smiled and immediately hugged him, "Dad!"

He hugged her back, both sides of him in perfect agreement.

"Welcome back," another familiar voice said.

He looked around, the grey walls of the room both familiar and not, "…Kainé?"

The woman lazily raised her hand, "Took you long enough."

Something inside him settled at the sight of her alive and unharmed.

"I'm so glad you are alright!" Emil added. "We were really worried."

"Emil…" he whispered, another jagged piece inside him losing its sharp edges.

But someone was missing…

"Where's Weiss?"

Kainé scowled, "Those two bitches used the fucking leash on him and dragged him behind the barrier."

Devola and Popola… Friends/traitors/jailers/enemies…

His head ached, two different perspectives jumbled together, two sets of memories struggling to overpower each other. He groaned, feeling like a grain of sand in a desert storm. His mind struggled to find an anchor in this confusing mess.

"…Dad? Dad! Are you hurt? Please, say something!"

The storm stilled, every shard glistening in nonexistent light, reflecting a single image to infinity.

Yonah.

"Ah! Stupid magic! It says that nothing is wrong… What should I do?!"

The image shifted, showing another person dear to him.

Emil.

"Hey, wake up, you asshole! You are making the kids worry!"

Another image, another piece of his heart.

Kainé.

There was another… There should have been another voice.

New image formed in his mind.

Weiss.

He remembered in broken pieces the danger, the threat, the betrayal… He had to save his friend. He had to stop the overseers and save innocent people from a fate worse than death.

His mind settled, the pain fading, and Nier opened his eyes.

His love for his daughter, his love for his friends, his desire to help others and make the world better… This was who he was.

And nothing would ever change it.

* * *

 _A/N: *grumbles* You can't call the soundtrack_ Snow in Summer _and then turn around and say that no, it wasn't actually snow! Apparently, the white stuff falling from the sky in the prologue is salt. Though considering how Nier and Yonah were dressed, I suppose it was still pretty freaking cold for a summer day._


	55. Despite Everything

**Chapter 55: Despite Everything**

"So… Which one of you is in control now?" Kainé asked once Nier was slightly more coherent. She squinted at him suspiciously, "There _are_ two of you in there, right?"

He winced, "Not… exactly."

"Meaning?" Kainé growled threateningly.

Nier looked at Yonah, who was burrowed into his side, clinging to him tightly.

"How much did you tell…?" he asked unsurely.

"…Kainé said that my dad and… my other dad were really badly hurt," Yonah mumbled. "So they had to- kinda- fuse together to stop a really bad monster."

Nier sighed and ruffled her hair, "Yeah… That's what happened. We had to stop that thing and we couldn't just leave you or our friends alone. It's just… things didn't really go according to the plan."

"When do they ever?" Kainé muttered. "And answer the damn question."

Yonah looked at him unsurely, "…So are you my dad now? Or are you my… other dad?"

Nier closed his eyes. Who was he?

Did he know?

Did he _care_?

He opened his eyes, "…Both. I think I am both of them."

Kainé squinted at him then lightly elbowed Emil, "Is he telling the truth?"

"Um… I'm not… sure?" the boy stammered. "Maybe? Yes? He doesn't feel like you or like those people in the Aerie…"

"I want a second opinion," Kainé said flatly. "But until we get that loudmouth back, _I'm watching you_."

"Kainé… You know me. Why would I lie to you?" Nier asked. "Why would _either_ of us lie?"

She scowled and looked away.

Nier tilted his head back with a tired sigh, "I'm sorry… It's not what either of us wanted but… it's still better than dying."

"Damn those bitches!" Kainé hissed. "It's all their fucking fault! They murdered half of my village, they took Weiss, and they sicced that fucking monster on us!"

Nier winced and rubbed Yonah's shoulder, "Kainé, please…"

It hurt to even look at her, the memories of another Yonah still frozen in stasis rising to the surface.

"It's not fucking fair…" Kainé whispered.

"It's not," Nier agreed. "But it's what we have. We have to move forward."

Her expression hardened, "Take this shit one step at a time? Sure, I can do this. But don't expect me to show any mercy to those fucking bitches. They made their fucking bed, they're gonna lie in it."

His headache was starting again, the different perspectives on Devola and Popola, _friends, traitors, enemies_ , failing to align, pain and rage clawing at his mind.

"We need to save Weiss," he said, finding something that both sides of him could agree on. "We can deal with everything else later."

"…Yeah," Kainé nodded. "We gotta get him back and stop those fuckers."

"And maybe Weiss will be able to split you back?" Emil said hesitantly.

Nier lowered his head, the strange finality of that dream world still echoing in his soul, "I- I don't think it's possible."

"…But you are you still my dad, right?" Yonah whimpered. "You- you still love me… right?"

Nier dragged her into a desperate hug, "Oh god, Yonah… Of course I love you! I will _always_ love you!"

She hugged him back just as desperately, breaking down in tears.

* * *

Yonah finally fell asleep, exhausting herself. Nier held her close, stroking her hair _(white strands falling out, skin crumbling to salt, revealing a layer of black and gold beneath – somebody, please, help us!)_. Once again he felt like a failure.

Kainé was silent, scowling at nothing with no outlet for her rage. Emil huddled under her arm, picking at the edges of his robe and refusing to look up.

"So you're- what? Some kind of fusion?" Kainé finally asked.

Nier raked a hand through his hair, "I don't know. I still feel like myself, just with more memories now. …Does this make sense?"

"No," she flatly replied.

How could he put into words what he barely understood himself?

"We lived different lives, but at the core of it, Gestalt, Replicant, or human, we were the same. And now I look through my memories and all I can see is _myself_. I remember what I did in both of my lives and I know that in those circumstances, knowing only what I did back then, _I would do the exact same thing_. There is no difference between us… I don't think there ever was."

Kainé curled her hands into fists, "Are you going to say that you are fucking _happy_ to be like this?!"

Nier steadily met her angry gaze, "No. What I'm saying is that I'm still _myself_. And I'm still _alive_ , so I'm not going to waste my time despairing about could-have-beens and never-weres. We need to save Weiss and we need to stop Noir from activating. We can't let them kill millions of innocent people."

Kainé closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. When she opened them, her expression was freezing cold, "We will. Those bitches think they are fucking invulnerable behind their fancy barrier? Well, we have a fucking key now."

Emil twisted his hands, pulling something small and faintly glowing out of thin air.

"After we beat that thing and you fell unconscious, we looked around a little," the boy said.

"That is, _before_ we dragged your sorry ass here," Kainé added.

"And we found this," Emil continued, showing him the glowing thing nestled in his palms.

Nier studied the small object, "…A piece of gold?"

"That bitch blocked me with her stick," Kainé said, grinning viciously. "So I broke the fucking stick. Now tell me this: why did bitch number two take the time to destroy it, unless it was pretty damn important?"

"It's a dimensional key," Emil explained, excitement creeping back into his voice. "It's broken and the other pieces flew really far away when it exploded, but I think I can repair it. And I made a tracking spell to find the rest!"

Nier looked in wonder at the golden shard that used to be a part of Popola's staff. If this was the key, they could get through the dimensional barrier. They could save Weiss and stop the overseers from activating Grimoire Noir.

He felt a savage grin stretch across his face, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find them!"

* * *

 _A/N: "Despite everything, it's still you."_

 _Say what you want about_ Undertale _, but that game has some damn good lines._


	56. Promised Neverland

**Chapter 56: Promised Neverland**

After everything that happened, Nier didn't want to leave Yonah alone, but they were quickly running out of time. They left the cursed manor, Emil leading the way and flying faster than he usually did. All of them felt the pressure of time slipping through their fingers.

Nier didn't pay attention to the weather, his mind still in too much disarray, so he didn't notice when the clouds moved, sunlight piercing through. Nier froze and hissed, arching up his wings and frantically searching for a shadow to hide in. It took him a few seconds to realize that the light wasn't burning him.

"…That's new," he finally said, looking in wonder at his now grey skin. It looked more solid, lacking the shifting, translucent quality he remembered, though there was still a rippling layer of black and gold over it. Even his wings were no longer transparent, colored solid black and orange instead. "Didn't know I could do this."

"No shit," Kainé said flatly. "I guess you really are two-in-one now, huh?"

So did that mean…?

Nier called upon his magic and felt the familiar warmth in his veins, the demonic element in his blood recharged and ready to be used. He shaped the spell and let it loose, making a barrage of sharp-edged crimson constructs rise from the ground.

He smiled grimly, watching the constructs slowly dissolve. This was going to make things much easier.

* * *

"Oh, fuck me! Not this place again!" Kainé scowled.

Nier winced inwardly, looking at the canyon and the meager remains of what used to be the Aerie. None of the memories associated with this place were particularly good.

"Sorry, my spell isn't very accurate," Emil apologized. "The shard should be somewhere around here, but I don't know where exactly."

"Then let's search," Nier said, spreading his wings.

He dove into the canyon, flaring his magic and trying to pinpoint the location of the golden shard. He winced, the unwelcome memories of his last flight around the place resurfacing. He could remember both the desperate fight against the fused monster and the hurried evacuation, the struggle of trying to save as many people as possible, the horror of seeing his friend lose control-

Nier barely stopped himself from plowing into the side of a stone cliff. He veered off and landed on the remnants of a metal pillar, shaking his head and trying to force the memories down. He didn't have time for an identity crisis.

He took flight again, stretching his magically enhanced senses to no avail.

"Hey! Nier! I think I know where it is!" Emil yelled, waving at him.

Nier made a sharp turn and landed beside him, "Really? Where?"

"Over there!" the boy pointed. "Over these hills!"

"Just our fucking luck…" Kainé muttered.

Nier wanted to swear too. This was where they had last seen the survivors of the Aerie.

He hoped to hell they hadn't killed each other over these last days.

* * *

As they crested the hill, Nier switched back to his Replicant (human?) form, letting out just enough of his dark aura to allow any Gestalt who bothered to look to recognize him. He really had no idea what they were about to walk into and a fight was the last thing they needed.

"They seem fine?" Emil said hesitantly, looking at the people camped out in the valley.

Nier stretched his senses. He could feel both Gestalts and Replicants there, some possessed, some not.

…Were they still getting along? It was somewhat hard to believe.

Nier winced, one-sided memories of trying to keep the peace between the traumatized and terrified people flowing in. Kainé, Weiss, and Emil took the brunt of it, explaining the messed up situation and placating the people, while he talked to-

He winced again. While he talked to himself. It was incredibly strange to remember both sides of the conversation at once.

As they walked down the hill, Nier could see a familiar face approach.

"Shadowlord!" Belle bowed, falling to her knees.

Nier frowned. It looked more like exhaustion than reverence.

"Belle," he nodded back. "How are you holding up?"

She looked up at him, dark shadows under her eyes, "Alive. What more can we ask for?"

She twitched and Nier thought he could feel the subtle shift of the Replicant taking control, "Alive and sane and hungry and homeless…" Belle chuckled bitterly, "It's our own damn fault. We hated strangers and they hate us back and now there is no one left to ask for help."

"And what happened to you?" she asked, switching places again. "Were you forced into possession like we were? …Is this the overseers at work again?"

Nier winced, "It was our own choice but the only other option for us was death."

"And that's not an option at all," Belle nodded in understanding. "Just like all these centuries ago when we believed the promises of new life… Why am I not surprised that it all ended up a lie? Unchanging _hell_ where our only way to salvation is either death or murder. Even this existence is only prolonging the inevitable!"

"There might be another option," Nier said. "In my case, it's not exactly possession."

"It's not?" Belle frowned. "What is it then?"

"I don't know," Nier replied. "Grimoire Weiss experimented on us. I don't know what exactly he did but… The two of us, Gestalt and Replicant, fused into one."

"…Fused?" Belle whispered. It was getting hard to tell which of them was in control. "No other voice in your head? No thoughts not your own? No one else hiding beneath your skin?"

Nier shook his head, "No, though I do have memories from both sides."

"Please, do the same to us! We can't stand to be like this!"

"I'm sorry but I can't. It was Weiss who did this to us. You will have to ask him… Once we save him from the overseers."

"Overseers!" Belle snarled. "Them again? Haven't they caused enough suffering already?!"

"Oh, don't worry," Kainé hissed. "We are going to make them fucking pay for this!"

Nier didn't know whether he wanted to help her or stop her.

"You can help us, Belle," he said instead, pushing the thoughts of revenge and betrayal to the back of his mind. "We need to find a golden shard, a magic key that will lead us to the overseers. And I promise you, once we figure out the solution, you will be the first to know."


	57. A World Half Full

**Chapter 57:** **A World Half Full**

The golden shard didn't take long to find and after taking a few minutes to talk to the other villagers just to make sure they were all somewhat fine, they left in search of the next one.

"…They wanted to be like you. Could this really be the answer?" Emil asked quietly.

Nier raked his hand through his hair, "…Maybe. I don't know. I have no idea why _this_ happened to me instead of possession. For all we know, it was only because I'm a stable Gestalt… Well, half of me was."

"If someone knows what the fuck happened, it's Weiss," Kainé said.

"We'll get him back," Emil said. "We already got so far, we can't lose now!"

"I hope you're right," Nier replied.

He didn't want to fight but… Could this be enough to convince the overseers to stand down?

* * *

The tracking spell pointed upwards and Nier switched to Gestalt form, flying in the familiar direction of the Junk Heap. Emil took flight as well, while Kainé had to use the bridge, crossing it in a couple of giant jumps.

"Let's talk to those brothers," Nier said, changing forms again. "They always search this place for materials, so they might've found something."

This turned out to be exactly the case, Jakob immediately offering to sell him the shard. Nier paid the requested sum, not exactly in a position to bargain.

"That was easy," Kainé commented. "Where are we going next, Emil?"

"Uhhhh… I need a bit of time to set up the tracking spell again."

"Do you mind if I check up on something meanwhile?" Nier asked.

"Of course!"

"Just don't take too long," Kainé added.

"I won't," Nier replied, gathering his magic and teleporting away.

He reappeared inside the underground military base, noting in the back of his mind that it seemed to take less energy than usual, and immediately switched forms, hovering in the air. Having no intention of fighting through the hordes of robot drones, Nier stretched his senses and teleported towards the biggest group of Gestalts he could detect.

He reappeared in an unremarkable corridor, which was typical for this place. He flared his aura to give the people some warning and flew towards the massive doors at the end of it, which opened immediately, allowing him entry.

Nier twitched slightly at the sight of a huge robot inside. It was only the fact that there were Gestalts around it (one on its head even) that kept him from reaching for his sword.

"It's you!" the child Gestalt cheered, jumping down from the robot's head and running towards him.

"Hello, Kalil," Nier smiled, patting his head. "How have you been?"

"Loud and exhausting, but that's nothing new," his mother said, bowing slightly. "It's been a while, Shadowlord. What brings you here?"

"I thought I told you to call me Nier, Angiolina. And I simply wanted to see how you are doing."

"Well enough," Angiolina replied. She gestured at the other Gestalts who were staying slightly away, looking unsure and somewhat intimidated, "Ever since you took down the defense system, our community has been growing even bigger."

"No more robot trouble?" Nier asked.

Angiolina shook her head, "No, quite the opposite, in fact. Beepy reprogrammed most of the drones for repair and maintenance. There's a lot of us living here and the last thing we need is someone getting hurt by accident."

"This place does need fixing," Nier agreed. "I'm glad that all of you are well. Angiolina…" he said hesitantly. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"If there was a way for you to regain your body without killing your Replicant-"

"… _Is_ there one?" she whispered.

"It's only a theory, so I can't promise anything. But… even if it's possible, it won't be easy. It would change you."

"Change?" Angiolina spread her arms. "I have already _changed_. You saved me from relapsing once but sooner or later, it is going to happen. To me, to Kalil, to every other Gestalt in existence… If there is another option, I'll take it."

Nier nodded, "Then the moment there is anything tangible, I will tell you."

* * *

The tracking spell led them into the desert next though they didn't get far before being accosted by wolves.

"Shadowlord!" the pack leader barked, bounding closer and bending his front legs in a canine version of a bow.

"You look happy," Nier commented, seeing the wolf Gestalt wag his tail almost strongly enough to start a small typhoon.

Roc straightened and nodded, "Yes, Shadowlord! You brought peace to our lands and for that we are eternally grateful!"

"I'm glad that your war has ended," Nier smiled slightly. "But there's something we might need your help with."

"Of course!" Roc immediately agreed. "How can my pack be of assistance?"

"Um…" Emil floated closer, showing him the golden shards. "We are looking for another shard like this one. My magic showed that it should be around here somewhere, but I don't know where exactly."

The wolf sniffed at the broken artefact and sneezed, "What a strange scent… It won't be hard to find."

Roc didn't waste any time, ordering his pack to search for the shard. The wolves quickly spread out and they followed after.

Nier flew near the pack leader, easily keeping pace, taking the chance to question him about their situation with the Masked People. From what Roc said, it wasn't exactly _peace_ but more of an extremely tense ceasefire. Not enough time had passed for anything stronger, but so far both sides seemed to be respecting it, so Nier counted it as a win. He wasn't sure that the prince, now king of Facade could accomplish even this much, but it was nice to be proven wrong.

They didn't have to search for long and soon enough a young wolf ran towards them with the shard glowing between her teeth.

"That's it!" Emil cried. "Oh, thank you!"

"Thank you," Nier echoed gratefully and the wolf wagged her tail, dropping the shard at his feet.

Emil immediately snatched it up, his magic gluing the broken pieces together and repairing the golden hook.

"I'm glad we could help," Roc said. He tilted his head curiously, "May I ask what this object is for?"

"Our enemies kidnapped Grimoire Weiss and hid behind a magic barrier," Nier explained. "This is a key to let us through."

The wolf pressed his ears to his head, "…I was meaning to ask where the Grimoire was. We owe him a debt as well. I hope you will find him safe and sound, Shadowlord."

"Thank you, Roc," he replied. "And you can call me Nier."

"It's an honor, Nier," the wolf replied, bowing again. "You and your pack are always welcome in my lands."


	58. Into the Unknown

**Chapter 58: Into the Unknown**

Surprisingly enough, the Lost Shrine wasn't destroyed completely, the ancient building weathering the storm even though large parts of it were caved in. The huge hall on the upper floor was torn apart, but the dimensional barrier and the gates behind it remained undamaged.

"So this is it, huh?" Kainé said quietly, staring mesmerized at the faint shimmer of magic blocking their way. "About damn time."

Emil carefully lowered the repaired golden key into Nier's hands. It glowed faintly, pulsing in sync with the barrier.

"I think it's working," the boy said quietly. "But it's still really badly damaged. We can only use it once."

"One-way trip?" Kainé asked. "Sure, why not?"

"Getting out is easier," Nier replied. "I escaped that place once, I can do it again."

"But we are only getting out if we have Weiss," Kainé nodded. "Got it."

Nier slowly exhaled, steeling himself, and waved his friends closer, wrapping his wings around them both.

Together they walked forward.

The barrier buzzed against his skin, it's magic neither hostile nor friendly. It didn't feel solid, instead it was something viscous, a quicksand that rooted his feet to the ground. Nier pressed on, the key shaking in his hands, it's golden surface beginning to crack. He poured his magic into the artefact, silently begging it to hold on for a few seconds more. Emil put his hand over the key as well, his magic struggling to hold it together. Kainé pressed her hand on top, wisps of dark energy swirling around her fingers.

The pressure faded suddenly and they stumbled, falling on the floor in a tangled heap of limbs. The key crumbled into golden dust but they were finally through.

Nier climbed back to his feet and shifted to Replicant form, fully suppressing his aura. He didn't want to announce his presence too much. He spared one last glance to the magic barrier behind them and briskly walked through the gates into a long corridor.

"Do you even know where to go?" Kainé asked as they hurried down the strange passage.

Nier nodded, "Weiss and I share a magical bond. It's not accurate enough to work as a teleportation path, but I can feel the general direction."

"Then lead the way," she replied, opening the massive set of doors at the end of the corridor.

Nier scowled at the sight of a beautiful and clearly cared-for garden revealed before them, so unlike the drab half-ruined dungeon he remembered.

"Nice place," Kainé commented. "I guess now we know what those bitches were doing when they were _not_ fucking with other people's lives."

Nier growled under his breath, approaching another set of locked doors and two white doves that positively reeked with magic.

"To whom does the true voice speak? To whom does the true form show itself?" the birds asked in a single echoing voice. "You must answer."

"It… it can talk!" Emil gasped. "Are they some sort of guardians?"

"They feel like magical constructs," Nier commented. "So probably."

"Should I pluck these chickens and fry them?" Kainé muttered darkly.

"I ask," the birds continued. "Why did the humans disappear from the world?"

Nier frowned. Was this some kind of a password? And if it was, would he need to say an exact phrase? Or would a general answer be enough? And what would happen if he got it wrong?

…Well, if worse came to worst, there was always teleportation.

"Because they were dying from the White Chlorination Syndrome," he answered, hoping that a proper term would work as a keyword.

"I ask," the birds said next. "How can humans extend their lives?"

"Through Gestaltization," Nier answered. "By ripping souls from their bodies and putting them into magical constructs."

"I ask," the birds said once again. "What is the destination of souls?"

Nier glared at them and crossed his arms, "They were supposed to take over their Replicants. It didn't work out all that well."

"…Very well," the birds replied. "You are acknowledged as master. You may enter."

The doors opened, allowing them to pass.

Nier breathed out a sigh of relief. Hopefully, the rest of their journey would be just as easy.

* * *

"How much farther do we need to go?" Emil asked as they raced through the open roofs and empty ballrooms, passing strange corridors and crumbling staircases.

This was an old building from the old world and it felt both familiar and alien. Nier could feel the memories of his two lives clashing and fracturing, not enough to hurt or split his mind fully but still unsettling. He forcefully banished any thought that wasn't firmly rooted in the present: he would deal with everything later.

(He tried not to think that if they failed, there might not be a _later_.)

"We're getting closer," Nier replied. He could feel his bond with Weiss growing stronger with every step even though it felt strangely muted. "But the androids are going to be nearby. So will Noir. We have to be careful."

"They're the ones who should be careful!" Kainé snarled. "I'll rip them to fucking shreds!"

She ran up another winding staircase, jumping from railing to railing and somersaulting above the rotting boxes and other junk cluttering the steps. Nier and Emil flew straight up through the middle of the staircase, weaving between the support beams until they reached the top.

Nier landed, switching to Replicant form, "We're almost there. I can feel Weiss straight ahead."

Emil looked up at the massive set of doors, "We'll save him."

"We will," Nier agreed.

He moved towards the massive doors when Kainé grabbed his arm.

"Are you going to try talking to them?" she asked then scowled. "Even after all the shit they did?"

Nier evenly met her gaze, "I don't want to fight them, I never did. They are only trying to do what they think is best for the world. Maybe my new existence can convince them that there is another way… But if they refuse to listen, I will bring them down by any means necessary." He smiled grimly, "What was it that Popola said? Two lives against millions – that's just math."

No matter what, he was going to stop them and get his friend back.


	59. Day of Reckoning

**Chapter 59: Day of Reckoning**

Devola and Popola were waiting for them, sitting on a dais like two judges presiding over a courtroom.

"Oh, look. You made it," Devola said flatly.

"We've been waiting for so long," Popola added. She had a staff in her hands again, no different from the one Kainé destroyed.

"Not fucking long enough!" Kainé snarled. "If I never saw you smug bitches again, it would be too soon! Now where the hell is Weiss?!"

"Devola, Popola… Please, end this madness," Nier said. "We don't have to fight. Just let my friend go."

"Sorry, but no can do," Devola replied.

"We need Grimoire Weiss," Popola said.

"Damn it!" Nier switched forms, spreading his wings. "You don't have to activate Noir! There is another way!"

"Hah! So you took your shell back?" Devola crowed. "I guess all these proclamations about how much you care about Replicants are worth nothing when your own life is on the line!" She looked first at Kainé then at Emil, "And you two don't even care that he is wearing your so-called friend like a meat suit?"

"That fucking _does it!_ " Kainé screamed, wisps of darkness rippling over her skin. "I'll fucking gut you!"

"Wait!" Nier called, barely managing to grab her shoulder before Kainé leapt at the androids. He turned to the overseers, "That's not what happened! Will you two just _listen_ for a moment?!"

Kainé shrugged his hand off, "Don't waste your breath! They're not going to stand down, so we should _bring_ them down!"

"No, no, let's talk," Devola said, placing her staff on her lap and crossing her arms. "It's been a while since we last talked, right?"

Popola nodded, "Even though our last discussion didn't end well, we are willing to hear you out."

Nier arched his wings, more than a little surprised. Were they finally going to listen to reason?

"The stubborn bitches want to talk?" Kainé muttered. "Why the hell now? They had more than enough time to fucking talk _before_ they tried to murder us…"

Nier wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, "Listen, please. I know, you think that activating Grimoire Noir is the only choice-"

"…Where the fuck is he?" Kainé whispered with dawning horror.

Nier turned to her, "Kainé?"

She gasped and raised her swords again, "Fuck! Noir isn't here! Neither is Weiss! They're just stalling for time!"

Devola scowled and stood up, "Figured it out, didn't you?"

She slashed her staff through the air, some sort of energy filling the room with a distorted haze. It emanated from tiny metal objects placed evenly around the room, all of them glimmering red.

Nier jerked, feeling it interfere with his teleportation, "No, please…"

Popola looked at him sadly, "Nothing you say is going to change our minds. You have your own motives, your own desires… And we have ours. I fear it really is just that simple."

"Just listen to me!" he yelled desperately but the androids didn't react, rising into the air. They hovered close to the high ceiling, raining magic blasts down.

Nier summoned a dark spear and threw it at one of the emitters, taking flight as well. Emil blasted another one into pieces, the distortion lessening slightly, and followed him into the air. Kainé had to stay on the ground, her speed and agility more than enough to dodge the attacks. She weaved between the blasts, managing to destroy a few more emitters.

Nier released a volley of magic spears, making sure all of them hit the same point in the barrier around Popola, then rushed into melee, his dark magic swirling around the edge of his sword. The barrier cracked slightly and Emil hooked his own magic in, trying to tear it open. Devola slammed into the boy from above, and he crashed down, the impact strong enough to crack the stone floor.

"I'll carve you open like a fucking pig!" Kainé screamed.

Darkness thickened around her as she drew on more of her powers. Kainé jumped straight up, somersaulting in the air to bounce off the ceiling and slam into Devola, knocking her down and cracking the shield around her. The android blasted her away only for Emil to shatter her shield completely.

Devola quickly rose into the air again but Emil didn't follow her. Instead he switched to his human form, everything under his gaze greying out and turning to stone. One by one the emitters scattered around the room were deactivated, the distortion fading into almost invisibility. Devola blasted him with magic but Emil didn't even flinch, the spell dissipating harmlessly on impact. In this form he was almost completely immune to magic.

Nier mentally thanked the monsters in charge of Project Snow White for being so good at creating human weapons and attacked Popola again as Kainé squared off against Devola, Emil switching forms again to help her.

The barrier around Popola was weakening but she didn't attempt to reinforce it. Instead the android gathered energy around herself, charging a stronger spell than the ones she used before. Nier kept attacking her shield, trying to interrupt her spellcasting, but the moment he broke through, Popola released the spell, aiming it straight up.

The blast crashed into the ceiling, ripping a hole open. Sunlight flooded the room as dust and rubble rained down. Nier flinched back, too used to light being deadly, then smiled grimly as he remembered it no longer being the case.

Popola stared at him with wide eyes, "…How?!"

Nier bolted towards the android, summoning a giant crimson hand and closing it around her. She barely managed to raise another barrier but Nier tightened the grip of the magic construct and her shield slowly began to crack. He summoned another hand, increasing the pressure, until the barrier shattered into pieces, clawed fingers closing around the android.

He hastily recalled the constructs before they could crush Popola completely and she landed on the floor, coughing and struggling for breath. She quickly righted herself, but a moment of weakness was all he needed. Nier formed another construct and slammed it over the android, pinning her to the floor.

"Will you stop fighting already or do I have to kill you?!" Nier snarled.

Devola didn't get a chance to help her sister, Kainé slamming her into the floor and Emil wrenching her staff out of her hands. Kainé pressed the serrated edge of her sword to her throat, "One move and you're dead!"

Popola stared at Nier, transfixed, "…How are you doing this? The sun-"

Nier stretched his wings, feeling sunlight on his skin, "Because this isn't possession, it's _fusion!_ Gestalt and Replicant willingly merging into one! We told you we were going to find a better option than Project Noir _and we did!_ One that damn sure doesn't require murder!"

"Unless it's _your_ murder," Kainé hissed, wrenching Devola's head back at an angle sharp enough to almost break her neck. "Did you activate Noir, you fucking bitch?! _Answer me!_ "

She gasped in pain, "N-no. Not yet."

Nier breathed out a sigh of relief, the grip of his construct loosening slightly, "Then tell him to call it off and let Weiss go. We finally have an answer. There is no reason for us to fight anymore."

"Or keep fighting and die!" Kainé snarled. "You more than fucking deserve it for all the shit you pulled!"

Devola shivered in her grip, "We'll stop. If- if it's true-"

"It is," Nier said. "I don't have a habit of lying, _unlike you_." He moved the construct, pulling Popola to her feet and pushing her into the direction he could feel Weiss from, "Now go talk to Noir and fix this before it's too late."

A pulse of energy rippled through the air, making his skin crawl.

"What was that?" Emil asked worriedly.

Popola closed her eyes in resignation, "Grimoire Noir."


	60. Changing Allegiances

**Chapter 60:** **Changing Allegiances**

Grimoire Noir was a tool to save humanity.

Grimoire Noir was a weapon to commit genocide.

Grimoire Noir was _so very tired_.

From the moment the gate guardians were activated, signaling the arrival of intruders into the Sanctuary, he was working, adjusting the threads of spellweave around Grimoire Weiss.

Mind control… Such an awful spell. It pained him to use it on someone who had been a friend and ally for centuries but there was no other choice left. Weiss had to activate him.

Noir could distantly hear the sounds of battle as the overseers stalled for time. Who were they fighting? Who could've survived the battle with the Warden? The Snow White weapon? A part of him hoped that it was the Original Gestalt, but it no longer mattered. Even if the Original survived and the destruction of humanity was pushed back for decades more, they still had no better solution than his activation.

He hated it, wishing it wasn't him who held the fate of the world in their hands, but there was nothing he could do about it.

The spell was taking hold, sinking deeper into the mind and soul of Grimoire Weiss, carving itself into his pages. It was still incomplete, barely holding together, but it was enough.

Noir pressed the edge of his cover to the barrier, "Weiss, if you can still hear me… I want you to know that… this isn't your fault. You never gave up and fought to the very end… So don't blame yourself. I'm the one at fault… and I will get what I deserve."

The barrier dissolved, releasing the white Grimoire. Weiss flipped his cover open, his pages shining brilliant white as he was forced to trigger the activation sequence. Noir responded in kind, his own pages glowing impossibly black.

Lightning arched between them, drawing them together. Noir could feel his pages crumble one by one, the magic within him used as a fuel for their activation, the blinding pain of his cover starting to crack bringing only a sickening sort of relief.

He just wanted it all to end.

Noir was drawn closer and closer, his black pages reaching towards the white-

Something slammed into him and Noir crashed into the stone floor, the lightning fizzling out. He twitched weakly, feeling too dizzy to float, and felt someone's hands close around him.

His sight cleared slightly and Noir stared at the android holding him, "…Popola?"

"Change of plans," she said, a glowing portal appearing beneath her feet.

Lightning crackled, knocking her down, and Noir crashed into the floor again. The disruptors placed around the room activated and the distortion field colored the air with a red haze, blocking any and all teleportation attempts.

Someone snatched him up, holding him by the corner. Feeling dizzier and more confused than he ever remembered being in his thirteen centuries of life, Noir could only flail weakly as the person holding him weaved between the magic blasts Weiss attacked them with.

"Weiss, you dumbass! What the fuck do you think you are doing?" they yelled and Noir finally recognized them as the possessed aberration. Kainé, was it? Up close she felt even worse than he expected, the Gestalt not yet relapsed, if far too close, but the Replicant already deeply corrupted with Black Scrawl, their magical matrices mangled and falling apart.

Noir tried to tear himself from her grip but she only held on tighter, "Stop wiggling, you little fucker, or I will rip out your pages and wipe my ass with them!"

"Noir! Did you finish the spell?" he heard Devola yell.

"No! It's still incomplete!" he yelled back, no longer able to comprehend what was going on.

"Then we only need to wait! It will fall apart on its own!"

Wha…? Didn't their entire plan hinge on activating him _before_ the mind control wore off?

Noir flailed as he was shoved into someone else's hands, "What the hell is happening here?!"

"Like she said: change of plans," the person holding him replied.

Noir flipped himself around and gasped, "…Original Gestalt? You're still alive?!"

"No thanks to you, asshole!" the aberration snarled, blocking the dark spears Weiss sent in their direction with her swords. The Snow White, Emil, gestured with his staff, a translucent barrier surrounding them.

Noir wiggled out of the Original's grasp, feeling at least somewhat capable of flying under his own power. "What do you mean, 'change of plans'?" He turned to the androids, "What the hell?!"

Popola nodded at the Original, "Scan him, Noir."

He did as such, stretching his senses, and reeled back in shock, "…How?"

He expected possession but this… this wasn't it. The Gestalt and the Replicant were intertwined so deeply, he couldn't even tell where one of them ended and the other began. Single body, single matrix, single soul…

"Weiss is the one who did this to us," the Original replied.

Noir swiveled around and looked in awe at the white Grimoire, "He was right. He had found the answer…"

"Less talking, more helping!" the aberration yelled as Weiss attempted to break through the barrier.

Noir shook himself, raising his own shield when the Snow White couldn't hold up the barrier anymore.

"How long until the spell falls apart?" Popola asked.

Noir glanced at the threads of spellweave, "Too long. We better start fighting back."

The aberration punched his back cover, "Like fuck! I'm not gonna fight my friend just because you said so! All this shit is your fucking fault!"

Noir hissed, the deep crack in his cover pulsing with pain. His barrier shattered and Devola raised a new one.

"Isn't there any way to break the spell?" the Original asked.

"Of course there is," Noir replied, rustling his pages. "Kill the caster – and it's broken."

"No one is killing anyone!" the Original growled.

"Wait it out then. Think you can handle a battle with someone you do not wish to harm?"

"I won't put your life above that of my friend," the Original said. "But murder should never be the first solution."

Noir snapped his cover closed, "…What is your plan then?"

The Original smiled wryly, "Not dying, for starters."

The aberration readied her swords, "And not giving up."


	61. Devil's Due

**Chapter 61:** **Devil's Due**

The shield was cracking again under the relentless assault of the mind-controlled Grimoire. Devola gritted her teeth, struggling to keep it up under the barrage of magic attacks. The moment it shattered, Popola gestured with her staff, making Weiss shudder and flail in the air as glowing symbols appeared on his cover.

Nier bolted towards him, grabbing the Grimoire with a summoned hand, "Weiss! Come on, fight it!"

The silver cover glowed brilliant white, both the symbols on it and the summoned construct shattering into pieces, and Weiss rose into the air, throwing a spear at the android. Unable to teleport, Popola quickly raised her shield.

" _Of course_ the leash barely works," Noir grumbled. "That would've been too easy."

The black Grimoire flipped his cover open, releasing a seemingly random volley of magic blasts. They impacted the walls, taking out a few emitters. Weiss turned towards him, bright lightning crackling around his pages. Noir screamed in pain when the lightning encased him, drawing him closer to Weiss.

"Fuck, again?!" Kainé snapped, rushing towards Weiss and kicking him in the cover strongly enough to interrupt his spellcasting. "Wake up and start making sense, you rotten book, or I'll make you sorry!"

Emil quickly grabbed Noir, raising a shield around them both. Weiss paid only enough attention to Kainé to bat her away with a summoned hand, his focus returning to Noir.

"Keep me away from him," the black Grimoire warned quickly. "At this point any physical contact will be enough to finish our activation."

"Can't you stop it?!" Devola yelled, attacking Weiss herself. He raised a shield of his own, completely ignoring the android.

"You know damn well that I can't!" Noir snapped. "He is the one holding the keys! And I can't readjust the mind control – it's already fixed in place!"

"Dammit, Weiss!" Kainé screamed. "How the fuck could those bitches get the best of you?!"

The shield around Emil and Noir shattered. Weiss rushed towards them but Nier blocked his way, making a row of sharp-edged constructs rise from the floor.

Emil quickly flew away, giving Noir to Popola and switching to his giant form. He grabbed Weiss with both hands, putting enough pressure on the barrier around him that it started to crack. The Grimoire retaliated with a barrage of dark spears, making Emil yelp in pain and release him.

"Change back!" Nier yelled. Halua's form might be huge and invulnerable to physical attacks but it could be easily hurt with magic.

Emil shifted to his human form, another wave of magic blasts impacting him harmlessly. He quickly turned around, petrifying the remaining emitters.

Weiss opened his cover, several pages detaching and hurtling towards the boy. Nier quickly shoved him out of the way, gritting his teeth in pain when one of the pages sliced across his back.

With Weiss distracted, Kainé and Devola took the chance to destroy the last few emitters, the distortion field fading.

Nier bared his teeth in a grin, "Now that's more like it!"

He gathered his magic and teleported towards Popola, snatching Noir out of her hands before Weiss could get too close.

"Devola! Get ready!" he yelled, quickly flying away.

He landed and raised a magic barrier, blocking the dark spears Weiss attacked him with. Devola teleported to his side and grabbed the black Grimoire, sinking into a portal.

"Can't you escape?" Kainé asked when the android resurfaced, raising a shield.

"In this state he'll be able to track down Noir anyway," Devola replied.

"Weiss is powerful and all of you refuse to fight back. At least if I'm in sight, he will ignore everyone who isn't a direct obstacle," Noir added. "…I told you, there's an easier way to break the spell."

"Don't fucking tempt me!" Kainé hissed and grabbed the black Grimoire, somersaulting over Weiss and shoving him into Nier's hands.

"Is this really your big plan?" Noir asked flatly as he was passed from hand to hand. "Playing keep-away?"

"Do you have a better one?" Nier asked. "And no, killing you doesn't count."

The Grimoire shifted slightly in his hands, "…Your stubborn desire to save everyone is quite annoying."

Nier tightened his grip on the cracked metal cover, "Worked for me so far."

Emil rushed towards him, quickly raising a barrier, "You're faster than Weiss, right? Maybe make him chase after you?"

Nier glanced at the open windows, "Worth a try."

The moment the barrier shattered, he flew outside, making sure Weiss saw him.

"Bad idea," Noir muttered. "His attacks have a very wide range."

"But there is more space to dodge them too," Nier replied. Why didn't he think of this himself? He supposed a part of him still thought he was ground-bound.

"Incoming!" Noir yelled and Nier quickly dodged several pages sent his way.

Unlike the magic spears, the pages didn't disappear after missing their target. Instead they changed course, rushing at him again and again. Nier swore under his breath, barely managing to dodge so many of them and hurriedly gathering his magic for teleportation. Without anyone distracting him, Weiss was a lot more coherent than he assumed.

He quickly teleported and hit Weiss with a summoned hand strongly enough to send the Grimoire crashing into the distant ground below. Nier winced. He didn't intend to hit him so hard…

"He'll be fine! Worry about yourself!" Noir snapped, raising a barrier around them both to block several spears.

"Damn it! How long until the mind control wears off?!"

"About a third of the spell is broken," Noir replied. He shuddered slightly, "Start moving. I don't have much energy left."

Nier nodded and gathered his magic, teleporting down and flying close to the ground. Magic blasts rained from above, cracking the ancient roads further. Nier teleported again, reappearing above Weiss and quickly flying in the opposite direction. He dodged several more sharp-edged pages and flew back into the building through an open window.

"Didn't work!" Nier yelled, flinging Noir at Emil and diving out of the way when more dark spears rained down.

"Oh, fuck this!" Kainé yelled. Wisps of darkness swirled around her as she rushed towards Weiss, colliding with him and sending them both to the floor. She grabbed the Grimoire with both hands, struggling to keep his cover closed to prevent another attack, "Wake the fuck up, Weiss!"

His cover blazed white but Kainé stubbornly held on, the darkness around her thickening.

"Kainé! Let go!" Nier yelled, using a summoned hand to drag her away and another to grab Weiss.

The Grimoire shattered the magic construct, his attention back on Noir.

Nier teleported, grabbing Noir and dodging more spears, "Status!"

"Half-way broken," the black Grimoire reported. "And I'm out of energy."

"We just have to keep going!" Nier hissed, passing him to Devola.

The android barely managed to escape a storm of sharp pages directed at her. Popola blasted away the pages before a clawed hand slammed her into a wall. Another hand nearly grabbed Devola but Emil raised a barrier around her. It shattered almost immediately but the construct dissipated when Kainé attacked Weiss again. Popola scrambled back to her feet, activating the leash, but Weiss blasted them both back.

Desperate for time, Nier grabbed the black Grimoire himself, trying to escape to the skies once again. Weiss sent a blast of lightning at Devola and Emil when they tried to get in his way and grabbed Nier with a summoned hand, slamming him into the floor. Nier blacked out for a second and suddenly Weiss was right in front of him, dark spear forming between his pages.

Nier desperately reached for his magic, knowing he didn't have enough time to block it or teleport…

The spear flew at him, seemingly slow but taking barely a fraction of a second…

…And impacted the black cover, piercing Noir through.


	62. In the Aftermath

**Chapter 62: In the Aftermath**

Weiss slowly woke up, every inch of his cover throbbing with pain. He could feel someone's hands around him, the touch achingly familiar.

"…Nier?" he mumbled.

"Welcome back, Weiss."

He could feel another pair of hands on his spine, small and bony, "Emil?"

"Weiss! We were so worried!"

"It was getting too damn quiet without you," another familiar voice said, knuckles tapping his upper edge.

Weiss twitched slightly, jerking away from the annoying feeling, "Ugh… Kainé."

"Grouchy bastard," she scoffed, brushing the edges of his cover with an oddly soft touch.

Weiss settled back down and looked up at his friends.

Three of his friends.

"Where is-?" he started to say but paused, noticing familiar dark aura radiating from Nier. "…Oh."

Possession then? He guessed as much. At least both of them were still alive.

Weiss cracked his cover open, rustling his pages, "What happened? I feel-"

'Awful' didn't even _begin_ to describe it.

"It's fine, Weiss," Nier replied. "Everything is fine now."

A flash of memories pierced his mind and Weiss jerked up, flailing wildly, "Noir! He was trying to activate us!"

Nier wrapped both arms around him, pressing him close, "He didn't. You are safe, everyone is safe… We have won, Weiss. It's over."

Weiss shuddered, his fractured memories returning in bits and pieces, "I- I fought you. He made me-"

Kainé pressed a hand to his cover, "We've been in worse scrapes. It's fine."

"It's not," Weiss muttered.

"It is what it is," Nier said. "We're alive, Noir wasn't activated, and we have a solution now… I think."

"…Did I kill him?"

"We don't know," Emil replied. "Noir is still alive but really badly hurt. Devola said he might not survive."

"Should keep an eye on them," Kainé muttered. "Who knows what bullshit they're gonna get up to without supervision?"

"I think Devola and Popola are more concerned with keeping Noir alive than with any plotting," Nier frowned slightly. "…I didn't expect him to take a hit for me. Did he do it deliberately to break the spell?"

"That suicidal idiot…" Weiss muttered. He leaned back, letting Nier support more of his weight, "A single attack wouldn't have injured him this badly if he wasn't already damaged. He called me a coward for refusing to sacrifice half of the world… but in the end, he couldn't live with this decision either." Weiss sighed heavily, "We were meant to fuse our physical vessels, using parts of them as fuel for our activation. Considering the state I was in, Noir could've easily forced me to… But instead he chose to sacrifice himself."

"He might still live," Nier said.

Weiss chuckled without mirth, "That might be a worse punishment for him than death. He could never handle guilt very well… Still, what made him stop and reconsider his activation? And… Devola and Popola too, right? What in the world happened to convince them to stand down?"

Nier smiled wryly, "Me, actually."

"…Meaning?"

Emil lightly poked his spine, "Scan him, Weiss."

Weiss stretched his senses, tracing the threads of magic. If he was floating, he would have fell down in shock, "What in the world have you two done to yourselves?!"

"I was hoping you will tell me. You were the one experimenting on us."

Yes, except Weiss had barely any idea what he was doing!

"…This isn't possession, is it? It feels deeper than that."

Darkness rippled around Nier, coloring his skin grey, and a pair of black wings opened behind his back. And yet, Weiss couldn't feel any shifts within his mind and soul.

"I still feel like myself. Both of my selves actually: I have memories from both sides in my head now. And it's not like we were any different from each other personality-wise."

"Still the same dumbass," Kainé piped up. "Can confirm."

He grinned slightly, "I might have an identity crisis later but so far I had no time to worry about who and what I am now. …Could this really be the answer we were seeking?"

Weiss rustled his pages, "That depends on what exactly happened and whether or not the effect could be reproduced. Also, don't think I am going to do anything until I determine how much of yourselves you have lost in this… fusion."

Nier flared his wings slightly, the gesture achingly familiar, "I haven't _lost_ anything, Weiss! It's-" He scowled, raking a hand through his now black hair, "It's like I just gained a bunch of additional memories. I haven't changed or anything… We were the same damn person! There was nothing to change!"

"You are biased," Weiss flatly replied. "I will make my own conclusions."

Nier huffed and shifted forms again, "I still want to know how exactly I ended up like this instead of possessed."

"You and me both," Weiss muttered.

"Well, from our side it was like this: we both were dying, so we decided to use possession to survive. That's when it gets a little confusing."

"You were fucking creepy back then," Kainé said.

"But so cool!" Emil added.

"I have no idea which of us was in control," Nier continued. "We were completely out of it and just running on instinct. Then we lost consciousness and woke up in some sort of a dream world."

"Was it white and endless?" Weiss asked.

Nier shook his head, "No, it was based on a memory. We were in the old world. Just… snow and ruins everywhere. We didn't know what was going to happen to us, which of us would be in control, but we didn't even care all that much. And then I woke up with memories from both sides."

"And not just memories," Weiss said, scanning him again. "There is only one mind and one soul within you now. As far as I can see, you are fully merged physically and magically and cannot be split back without causing horrific damage." He sighed, "And yet, I do not know whether this effect is unique to you or works on other Gestalts."

Nier smiled wryly, "You won't have any shortage of volunteers for testing. We went to the Aerie and the people there would take this over possession any day. It's better than death and insanity."

Weiss rustled his pages, "Before we get to human experimentation, I would very much like to dig into whatever information the overseers have on Project Gestalt and Project Replicant. Both were deeply flawed and I need to know what exactly went wrong. Our main problem is _relapsing_ , so I cannot rely on you alone for testing. We need to cover all our bases before we can claim that we have a solution."

Nier smiled at him, "Do what you think is best, Weiss. We have time once again. We have won."


	63. Last Wishes

**Chapter 63:** **Last Wishes**

They had won.

They got Weiss back. They saved millions of innocent people from the overseers and Noir, somehow managing not to kill anyone. They could stop everyone from relapsing…

…So why then did she feel like crying?

"You know, Sunshine, that Black Scrawl has almost completely taken you over," Tyrann whispered to her. "And I'm about to relapse and go crazy. …Heh, crazi _er_."

"I know," Kainé whispered back, digging her fingers into her left shoulder. Her Gestalt was long gone. She had just been living on borrowed time…

She thought she was fine with it. When her grandmother died, her only thoughts were that of revenge. And when she finally got it, she thought she was ready to die. But then Nier was there, calling her a friend, as if he didn't care _what_ she was… And then there was Weiss, always clashing with her, and the other Nier, forcing her to take a long hard look at herself… And then there was Emil, a kid that deserved so much better, and then there was Yonah, another kid treated unfairly by the world…

Her friends, her _family_ who trusted her and cared for her and _believed_ in her…

She wanted to stay with them. She wanted to hug Emil and bicker with Weiss and taste Yonah's awful attempts at cooking and laugh at Nier's expression when his daughter said words she wasn't supposed to know…

She didn't want to die.

"Ain't got a choice now, Sunshine!" Tyrann cackled. "Shouldn't have used so much of my power! I told you, I'm the one keeping Black Scrawl at bay: you use too much – you have to pay with your time."

Kainé shivered, gritting her teeth. She didn't have a choice, having to stretch herself thin first against the monster in the Shrine, then against the overseers, then against Weiss…

She didn't regret it. She'd make the same damn choice every time! There were more important things at stake than her life…

It just… wasn't fair. Where was her happy ending?

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you. _Real_ rich," Tyrann laughed. "You wanna start praying to the heavens now? I thought wishes didn't come true for you!"

Kainé felt a burst of anger cut through the pain.

"You're gonna die first!" she hissed, struggling to stand up.

"Kainé?" Nier asked worriedly before an expression of pure horror crossed his face. He switched forms, his dark aura growing stronger.

Kainé felt her blood burn in response but somehow she knew it wouldn't be enough. She stumbled towards the open windows, her legs barely holding her up. Nier caught her before she fell down.

"The sun…" she rasped. "Burn the fucker out when he takes over."

"Awww…" Tyrann crooned. "I burn to death, you die from Black Scrawl… Is this really the pathetic end you want? Where's the fun in that? Where's the carnage, the bloodlust?!"

"Fuck you," Kainé breathed out. "I live and die on my own terms."

"You're not going to die!" Nier snapped. "Weiss! Do something!"

"I can't!" the Grimoire cried. "Tyrann isn't _her_ Gestalt! They can't fuse! They don't even have a bond!"

She didn't _want_ to fuse with him. She'd rather die. As long as she was still herself…

Kainé bit back a groan of pain as the Black Scrawl spread further. A wave of numbness followed and Kainé felt herself losing control of her body.

"Damn…" Tyrann hissed. "And I so wanted to still be myself when I carved your precious friends into pieces… Staying quiet and biding my time for so long, spreading just a little further every time you called on my power… And it's all for nothing!"

Kainé gasped, trying desperately to stay in control, "Y-you…"

"I guess, neither of us gets what they want in the end…" he whispered then burst into mad laughter. "Ah, what the hell! Relapsed or not, I'm gonna bathe in blood before I go out! Yours or theirs, doesn't matter!"

Kainé felt darkness encroach as Tyrann clawed to the forefront. With every second he was losing more and more of himself, a different kind of madness giving him power. Kainé was struggling to hold onto her last shreds of control when something pressed to her lips. She sputtered, choking on the warm liquid, the metallic taste of magic buzzing on her tongue. She tried to jerk away but Nier kept her head steady, forcing her to drink from his bleeding wrist.

Tyrann purred contently in her mind, his grip on her body weakening slightly, "Ah… Now I get why everyone scrapes and bows before the guy. I'd stand on my knees too if he kept feeding me this stuff… Too bad that it ain't gonna work for long."

Kainé forced herself to swallow more blood, pushing Tyrann back once again.

"I never found a solution!" she could hear Weiss say. "I need time!"

"We don't have it!" Nier snapped. "I'm barely keeping Tyrann from relapsing! And Kainé will die without him!"

"…I could petrify them," Emil said in a trembling voice. "But I don't know if I'll be able to break the curse later. I never managed to figure it out…"

"Stasis!" Nier cried. "There should be a working pod around here!"

"They were meant for Gestalts, not Replicants!" Weiss yelled. "For all we know, it might kill her!"

"…Do it," Kainé rasped. A risk of death was better than certainty.

Darkness gathered around, pulling them through dimensions into a different place.

"Devola! Popola!" Nier yelled. "We need a stasis pod! Now!"

Tyrann snarled and raged in her mind, desperately fighting for control, "You ain't gonna win this easily!"

Kainé fought him back, just as desperate. She wanted to _live_ and this was her only chance, no matter how risky.

"Hold on, Kainé," Nier whispered to her. "Just hold on."

She could distantly feel her body being moved around. And then she was alone, a thick pane of glass separating her from her friends.

It was getting cold.

Tyrann curled her left hand into a fist and hit the glass, nearly cracking it. Kainé clutched her right hand around the wrist, stopping him from hitting it again.

The freezing cold stole control of her body from both of them.

Her world was getting darker, her mind losing hold on reality, until nothing but cold remained.


	64. Those Left Behind

**Chapter 64: Those Left Behind**

Emil felt numb, staring at Kainé's unmoving figure behind the glass.

"This is your fault," Nier growled.

Emil slowly turned around and looked at his friend.

He was glaring at the androids, his wings flared up in anger, "This is all your damn fault! Couldn't you just stop for a minute and fucking _listen_ to us?! If you didn't force us into battle after battle, this wouldn't have happened! Are you fucking happy now that my friend is dying?!"

Devola flinched, looking away. Popola wordlessly shook her head.

"…Get out," Nier hissed, turning away from them. "Just… get the hell out of here."

The overseers obeyed, leaving silently.

"It's not fair," Emil whispered. "Kainé doesn't deserve this."

"…She deserves so much better," Nier replied.

"She is still alive," Weiss said. "And as long as there is life, there is hope. We have already accomplished the impossible and we will do it again. There must be a way to help her."

* * *

"You have a lot to answer for," Nier stated matter-of-factly, staring down the androids. He looked more tired than angry.

"And we have a list of demands," Weiss added.

"What do you want us to do?" Popola asked calmly.

"I require access to every bit of information you have on Gestalts and Replicants," Weiss said.

"And take down the damn barrier," Nier added. "I refuse to be trapped here again."

"We will give you the access," Popola said. "But we cannot remove the barrier."

"Then I will tear it down myself, once I have the time," Weiss replied. "Give us the keys then, I know you have spares."

Devola nodded, "We can do this. What else?"

"You are not getting your staves back and you are staying right here where we can see you," Nier said. "Don't think for a single second that we are going to trust you just because we're forced to be allies now!"

"What about Grimoire Noir?" Popola asked.

"Do all you can to keep him alive," Weiss replied. "But if his condition worsens, tell me immediately. His magic and knowledge are far too useful to lose."

"…People in the village will notice if we're gone for long," Popola said hesitantly.

Nier scoffed, "Right. As if you care what a bunch of mere Replicants thinks."

"Nonetheless, your status can be of use to us," Weiss said.

Nier crossed his arms, "Fine. Write a damn letter with some sort of an explanation and I'll deliver it. You are not going back there until I can be sure that you won't do anything stupid."

* * *

Emil rubbed his eyes, tired from staring at the computer screens and digging through the old documents, "Is this why Tyrann could possess Kainé? Because he can't have a Replicant of his own?"

"Probably," Weiss muttered. "Doesn't really help us though." The Grimoire hissed in helpless anger, "If only Kainé had her own Gestalt… We can kill Tyrann, easily! Just let him take over, keep him under the sun for a minute, and he's dead!"

"But then Kainé dies too," Emil whispered. "Because of Black Scrawl."

"I tried to forge a bond between them, make them like a regular Gestalt and Replicant pair… Didn't work. Something just… doesn't click together. And Kainé wouldn't want it either."

Emil lowered his head, resting his forehead on his desk, "…Project Noir? Can we- I dunno- invert it? So that it destroys Gestalts, not Replicants?"

"It relies on bonds," Weiss sighed. "Not to mention, it was meant to be an all-or-nothing solution. We can't use it locally and it has plenty of safeguards to prevent tampering. Though Noir might be able to offer some input."

"Is he ever going to wake up?" Emil asked.

The overseers submerged Noir in pure maso, stopping the Grimoire from crumbling to dust but he was still completely unresponsive.

"We, Grimoires, are a sturdy lot," Weiss replied. "As long as we keep supplying him with energy, he will heal, though I cannot say when exactly this is going to happen."

Emil sighed and raised his head, rubbing his eyes again, "Then we just have to keep searching."

* * *

Once again Emil found himself underground, looking at sleeping Kainé. Weiss was still sifting through the information, searching for anything that might help, but Emil couldn't stand it anymore, feeling like his mind was shutting down.

"You should get some rest," he heard Nier say.

Emil didn't turn around, "I'm not tired."

That was true. The demonic element within him was fully charged. But what did it matter if he had no idea what to use this power for?

Emil hunched over and rubbed his eyes. As long as he stayed in this form, no one would see how much he wanted to cry.

"Your mind is," Nier disagreed, stepping closer and pulling him into a hug. "Weiss promised me to get at least a few hours of sleep. You should rest too."

"How's Yonah?" Emil asked instead of replying.

Now that he had a dimensional key of his own, Nier went to check on his daughter. Both of them.

Nier jerked his shoulder in a half-shrug, "I think she is getting used to me. But sometimes she still looks at me like I'm a complete stranger."

"…And the other Yonah?"

"Unchanged."

"Is she still in that cave?" Emil asked. "You know, this place is pretty big, and since we're spending all our time here anyway…"

Nier narrowed his eyes, "It took me so long to escape, I'm not going to leave her stuck here again. And I don't trust the overseers with her. …I don't trust them with Kainé either, but Weiss needs her close to monitor her condition and he's still digging through the database."

Emil sighed, "We gotta start trusting them at some point. They don't really have a reason to do anything bad now, right?"

"How can you be so sure?" Nier countered. "For all we know, they might decide that we're making too little progress and try to take matters into their own hands. And there is always just plain old revenge."

"Then what's the point of letting them live if you're just gonna hover over them with a raised sword?"

Nier crossed his arms, glaring at him stubbornly.

Emil sighed again, "At least take her to my manor. She'll be fine there."

"That's… not a bad idea actually. Thank you."

"If I promise to get some sleep, will you at least think about the rest of what I said?"

Nier scowled at him but nodded and with a last glance at their friend they left Kainé sleeping in the darkness.


	65. Finding Answers

**Chapter 65:** **Finding Answers**

"Did you find something?" Nier asked when Weiss finally peeled himself away from the database. "Anything?"

Weiss rustled his pages, "I cannot yet fix Kainé's situation, unfortunately, but at the very least I know what the problem is. I know what truly causes relapsing now and your fused state is indeed the solution we were seeking, though I will need to run some tests first. This is not something that should be rushed."

For the first time in days, Nier smiled, "That's amazing, Weiss!"

"What did you find?" Emil asked. He had left the database to Weiss, digging through the hard copy archives instead.

"The first cause of relapsing is unstable maso, but that one was dealt with in the very beginning. The second one is lack of physical form. These magical constructs Gestalts are forced to inhabit are shifted halfway into another dimension, which is a source of constant strain on their magic. It is also the reason for them seemingly shifting in and out of existence, for the light being dangerous, for their speech being scrambled… Grimoires can dimension-shift too," Weiss added, disappearing with a shimmer of magic then reappearing again in demonstration. "The memory erasure I was subjected to had damaged this ability, until a dose of stable maso repaired it, so I could understand Gestalts once again."

"Huh…" Nier shifted forms, staring at his now grey skin. "Is this why I look solid now? Because I'm all the way here?"

"Correct. One of the protocols in Project Noir was meant to achieve the same, but regular possession doesn't root Gestalts to this dimension completely, thus they are still vulnerable to sunlight."

"And that's what causes relapsing?" Emil asked.

The Grimoire sighed, "There is another reason, though if Project Replicant was used in its original form, it wouldn't have been an issue either."

Nier frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Originally, Replicants were meant to be nothing but shells," the Grimoire continued. "No mind, no soul… Merely hunks of _meat_. And if that's what they remained as, we wouldn't have had any problems now. But then someone had the _brilliant_ idea to use Replicants as workforce and foot soldiers to eliminate the Legion and destroy unstable maso."

Nier grimaced, "Not that I like hearing this, but why was that a problem?"

"Because soldiers, even _slaves_ , need to have at least rudimentary intelligence. And the first Replicants were nothing but breathing _corpses_. But while I'm not saying it's impossible, humanity hadn't managed to create an AI without magic being involved. And if the mind is complex enough, magic is the seed from which a soul can grow."

"But didn't magic only appear thirteen hundred years ago?" Emil asked.

"It had always been part of this world," Weiss replied. "It was merely too weak to be purposefully used. That is, until an energy source as efficient and compatible with it as maso was found."

"So the Replicants gained souls and free will," Nier sighed, rubbing his temples. "Is this when Project Replicant went off the rails?"

"Those ancient _idiots_ decided that splitting the magical matrix of every Gestalt and putting half of it into their Replicant was a good idea!" Weiss hissed. "And the whole damn system is made so that when a Replicant dies, their part of the matrix isn't returned to their Gestalt. It is merely stored until a new Replicant can be created. The bonds between Gestalts and Replicants keep the matrix at least somewhat stable but they still have only half the magic necessary to support their souls! Sooner or later, the matrix destabilizes completely, leading to relapsing."

"Can't you fix the system?" Emil asked.

"No. The overseers have already tried it, hoping to let Replicants live out their natural lives then recombine the matrices upon their death. But all their attempts have failed and the system is barely functional as it is. It might not withstand a tampering this severe."

Nier frowned, "But you _can_ solve this, right?"

Weiss rose higher in the air, "Indeed I can! And to think, Noir and I were so close to the breakthrough before!"

Nier raised an eyebrow, " _Noir and you?_ So were you really allies?"

Weiss shifted from side to side, "Allies, friends… It hardly matters now. After what he did, he would have to grovel before me for _centuries_ , before I'm anywhere ready to forgive him."

"…Courting habits of Grimoires aside, what exactly did you do?" Nier asked.

Weiss squawked indignantly and cuffed the back of his head with a summoned hand, "Perhaps I should make _you_ grovel first?"

Emil giggled slightly. Knowing they finally had a solution did wonders to everyone's mood.

"…Anyway. Project Noir was meant to meld a Replicant's part of the matrix to their Gestalt's, so we tried to do the same _without_ destroying their soul in the process. Noir himself had powers written into his pages that I never had, so he didn't need to cannibalize others to gain the ability to affect spellweave. He used the spare energy freed during possession to forge the bonds between the two halves of the matrix, eventually managing to repair it. But there were still two minds and souls occupying a single vessel. They damaged each other, even when trying to coexist, so either one of them was destroyed, or the matrix eventually collapsed under the strain of supporting two souls. We theorized that fusing their minds and souls would solve the issue but we just couldn't make it work."

"Why not?" Emil asked.

"Lack of knowledge," Weiss replied simply. "Lack of skill. By the time we realized that Project Replicant wasn't progressing as planned, a lot of information was lost. Otherwise I would've devoured Verde right then and there!"

"…Verde?" Emil repeated. "Grimoire Verde?"

"The translation spell?" Nier asked. "You said there was something strange about it."

Weiss rustled his pages, "I called it 'translation' to simplify things, but in truth it wasn't."

"Because Gestalts and Replicants speak the same language, right? It just ends up scrambled because of dimension-shifting," Emil said.

"Correct. I used a form of mental communication instead. It wasn't true telepathy, but it allowed you to understand the meaning of their words nonetheless."

Nier made a noise of realization, "That's right! I didn't even notice it because it's still kind of a mess in my head, but Gestalts sound completely normal to me now. They did to Gestalt-me too! But Replicant-me could only hear strange sounds, your spell just let me understand their meaning!"

Weiss tilted his upper edge slightly, "You might be rooted to this side now, but you haven't lost your ability to dimension-shift, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to change between Gestalt and Replicant form. Thus you can still understand them."

"You said that this spell spread into our bond, right?" Nier asked. "I'm guessing, it formed some sort of a mental link?"

"Not a strong one," Weiss replied. "At least, not until you attempted possession. I have tampered with it too, unknowingly repeating the same things Noir have tried before: redirecting the spare energy to fix the broken matrix and tie you fully to this dimension. And if you were a regular Gestalt, that would've been all it did. But you are far too powerful, so the remaining energy poured into this new connection I have forged, fusing your minds and souls as well."

"And you can do the same for other Gestalts and Replicants now?" Emil asked excitedly.

"Indeed! I can easily repeat the spells and some stable maso should give them enough of an energy boost to complete the fusion."

Nier smiled then, wide and earnest and _relieved_ , wrapping his arms around Weiss and pressing him close, " _Thank you_."


	66. Risk and Reward

**Chapter 66: Risk and Reward**

"When are you going to see Yonah again?" Weiss asked.

Nier tilted his head, brushing his fingers over the dimensional key hanging around his neck. It didn't look like much of anything: just a chaotic twist of golden wire attached to a thin chain. "I wanted to go tomorrow. Why do you ask?"

The Grimoire flipped his cover open and formed a crimson hand, twisting it in a way Nier recognized as reaching into a magic pocket.

"Take this," Weiss said, holding up three vials filled with shimmering black liquid.

Nier squinted at the vaguely familiar liquid then raised an eyebrow, recognizing the heavy metallic scent of magic, "Are you raiding the supplies?"

"Right of conquest," Weiss smugly replied. "Everything here belongs to us now. That includes those good-for-nothing androids and Grimoire."

"And the entire stockpile of stable maso, apparently," Nier commented, taking the vials and putting them into his own dimensional pocket.

"Leave two for yourself, just in case," Weiss said. "It's always good to keep some energy in reserve. But make Yonah drink the third one."

Nier took out one of the vials, shaking it slightly, "It's not pure, is it?"

"Of course not!" Weiss scoffed. "Maso is an extremely powerful substance. I mixed it with water to make the dosage easier to measure. I'm not sure I calculated the concentration correctly but it's impossible to overdose on maso."

"I guess the testing will show how much you really need," Nier said.

Weiss made a noncommittal noise, rustling his pages. The Grimoire still hadn't gathered enough confidence to experiment on the volunteers from the Aerie, wishing to prepare for every possible way things could go wrong first.

"…Are you truly alright with it?" Weiss asked. "You didn't get a choice yourself but do you still wish this for Yonah?"

"Of course I do. Maybe if I hadn't experienced fusion firsthand, I'd be more reluctant, but I know what it's like. I'm still myself and she will still be Yonah… But Yonah might disagree."

"Does your new existence still bother her?" the Grimoire carefully asked.

Nier only sighed tiredly, "She seems fine now, but that doesn't mean she will accept fusion herself. And… it has to be mutual, right?"

Weiss theorized that consent from both parties was required to if not achieve fusion, then at least make the transition easier.

"Yonah was completely delirious during her Gestaltization. I- I don't think she even realized what was happening to her… And she is so close to relapsing, we won't have the time to explain anything."

"Not to mention, the main requirement for fusion is _possession_ ," Weiss added. "I doubt she will be in any state for this when we unfreeze her."

"…Noir can force possession. But he is still in a coma."

"He will awaken," Weiss assured. "And if he doesn't, I will tear out his pages and do this myself. Now stop fretting and let's go! I think it's about time I put my theories to test!"

* * *

The moment they landed in the valley that the survivors of the Aerie occupied, Nier and Weiss were completely surrounded by possessed people.

"Good news, everybody!" Weiss proclaimed loudly. "I finally have a solution for your troubles! So anyone who wishes to follow the example of your lord and master and fuse both sides of yourself into a single entity, forever removing the threat of relapsing and Black Scrawl, can do so now!"

Nier gave him a slightly exasperated look, "It's still untested, so there is a high risk of something going wrong."

"But if you are willing to try," Weiss added. "I have everything I need right here, so we can start immediately."

Loud cheers echoed across the hills in response.

* * *

Somehow Nier wasn't at all surprised to see Belle as the first volunteer.

Weiss gave her a vial of maso, having apparently grabbed as much glassware as he could find, "Drink this."

Belle looked at the dark liquid, "What is it? It smells… wonderful."

"Stable maso, the demonic element," Nier explained. "The same thing that runs through our blood, powering our magic."

"…It's yours, isn't it?" she whispered. "My blood recognizes it."

"Please, don't go all religious fanatic on me," Nier said, only half-joking.

Belle smiled, "You more than deserve our respect for everything you did to help us. Even the doubters now believe that you truly are our lord."

Nier tried not to wince. He did _not_ need a cult!

"This vial should contain plenty of energy, though I have more if that's not enough for your fusion," Weiss interrupted. "Once you drink it and I forge the necessary connections, the process should begin. You will lose consciousness, then both of you will find yourselves in a mental construct, a dream world of sorts. I don't yet know how long you will be unconscious, but when you wake up, you will be a singular entity."

"Hell of a headache," Nier said. "Painful, confusing, and felt like the worst hangover of both of my lives. And even after the first storm passes, your head will be a complete mess. Though it might help if you have someone familiar close by when you wake up."

Belle glanced at her brother who was waiting nearby, "Peter?"

"I'll be there all the way, sis!"

She slowly exhaled and opened the vial, raising it to her lips, "Well, here goes nothing."

* * *

Emil let out a startled squeak when Nier barreled into him in his hurry, "Ah! What is happening?!"

Nier wrapped both arms and wings around the boy, hugging him tightly, "It works Emil, it works!"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Where have you been?!"

Nier teleported them both down to the underground storage, taking out the empty vials, "The fusion! Weiss finally went to the Aerie to test it and it works!" He shoved several vials into Emil's hands, "Quick, fill them with maso! Weiss got the dosage wrong, so there wasn't enough for everyone, but it works! Oh my god, Emil, we did it!"

The boy nearly dropped the vials, "It works? Really?!"

Nier grinned and nodded.

Emil gasped and hugged him, "It works!"

Nier hugged him back, spinning them around, "It works!"

"It works!"

"It works!"

 _"It really works!"_


	67. Plans and Reparations

**Chapter 67:** **Plans and Reparations**

Nier and Emil grinned at each other, feeling nearly delirious from happiness.

"We _saved the world_ , Emil," Nier said with quiet awe. "Can you believe this?"

"It's- it's amazing! I have no words!" Emil laughed. "No one believed it was possible but we did it!"

Nier dragged the boy into another hug before letting him go, "Come on! Weiss needs me to finish the supply run."

They stumbled back to their feet, gathering the scattered vials and filling each with dark shimmering liquid of stable maso.

"Will this be enough?" Emil wondered. "I mean, not just for the Aerie. For everyone."

Nier shrugged, "All of this was extracted from my blood. I can donate again."

"Oh, I nearly forgot! Noir finally woke up."

Nier paused slightly before resuming his work, "Really? That's- That's convenient. That's _very_ convenient. Let's finish up here, then we'll go see him. Devola and Popola too."

"What do you have in mind?" Emil asked curiously.

"Insurance. And… maybe a little revenge."

* * *

Nier crossed his arms, studying the black Grimoire, "Still alive, I see."

In his old, _human_ memories, Noir was something terrifying: darkness made solid that brought forth monsters, contract with the devil lying open and inviting for any fool wishing to sell their soul… Right now, Nier could feel none of those things. Oh, there was still a great deal of both mistrust and resentment simmering in the back of his mind but other than that? Noir was just a Grimoire.

"Not for the lack of trying," Noir replied flatly.

Instead of floating, he was standing upright in a container half-filled with maso. He looked mostly fine, the edges of his cover once again smooth rather than crumbling. No visible cracks anywhere either.

"Don't think I'm not grateful," Nier said. "But it was your own damn fault."

"I am aware," the Grimoire replied. He tried to float up only to drop back into the dark liquid. "…I suppose it will be a while before I'm capable of any magic other than the very basics."

"A lot of your pages were destroyed too, Grimoire Noir," Popola said.

"I noticed," Noir grumbled. "They will regenerate, eventually." He turned towards Nier, "Now, I highly doubt that this is a mere courtesy call, so tell me: why are you here?"

"I have finally decided what I want to do with you three," Nier replied. He reached into the container, carefully pulling the unresisting Grimoire out. "Can you fly without your staves?" Nier asked, turning to the overseers.

Devola shook her head, "No. They're focusing tools, so we can't do much without them."

"Then Emil will carry you."

"Where are we going?" Popola asked.

"You'll see."

* * *

Nier stared down the angry villagers, his grip on Devola's shoulder tightening. Emil raised his staff in front of Popola as both a shield and a restraint.

"It's them! Overseers!"

"Murderers!"

"It was them all this time?!"

Nier flared his aura and the villagers quieted down slightly.

"I know, they caused all of you a lot of pain," he said. "Which is why the first thing they will do is help you rebuild."

"Why not just kill them?!" somebody yelled.

"Because they are more useful alive," Nier replied. "I know, all of you want revenge… And you deserve it! But please, think for a moment: what do you need more right now? Satisfaction of killing them or help in getting back to your feet?"

Snarls and growls quieted down to incoherent grumbling, Gestalts, Replicants, and their fusions shifting uneasily.

"They owe you a debt that can never be repaid," Nier continued. "They don't deserve your trust or forgiveness. But _you_ , all of you, deserve help. …This is your decision and if you'd rather work by yourselves, then so be it. But these two can be useful, so why not use them?"

* * *

"They hated us so much…" Devola whispered when they had finally left the valley. She sounded subdued. Guilty.

"I wonder why!" Weiss hissed. "It's not like your actions lead to their friends and family dying and their home being destroyed… _Oh, wait!_ "

The Grimoire wasn't happy about the overseers being there but Nier stood by his decision. They had to see the consequences of their actions but they needed to see fusion with their own eyes too.

Popola started to say something but Nier only glared at her, "I don't want to hear your excuses! It doesn't matter what your motives were, a lot of people still got hurt. You fucked up and you can't fix it, but you still owe them help."

She let out a shuddering breath and nodded.

"It's the least we can do," Devola quietly agreed.

Nier dug his fingers into Noir's spine, "And don't think _you're_ off the hook either!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," the Grimoire replied. He had been quiet throughout the day, falling in and out of consciousness. "Though it might be a while before I heal enough to be of any use."

"But once you do, I will need your help," Weiss said. "The spells required for fusion can be cast only on one person at a time. You will double the speed."

"Can you even do this?" Nier asked tapping the black metal cover.

"I can. These spells are based on my own research," Noir replied.

"We were working in the right direction, merely missing a step," Weiss said.

"You were right, Weiss," the black Grimoire admitted. "There really was another way. And… I'm sorry. For giving up, for not trusting you more…"

"Apology accepted."

"It's still only the beginning," Nier said. "Gestalts and Replicants everywhere must know that this is an option."

"Is this what you want us to do as well? Spread the information?" Devola asked.

Nier nodded, "Gestalts will listen to me. But Replicants? They will trust you more."

"How much do you want us to tell them?" Popola asked.

"Eventually? Everything," Nier replied. "For now? They need to know about relapsing and that Gestalts are intelligent. After that you can tell them that Gestalts used to be human. Give them some time to deal with it and finally tell them about Project Replicant."

"Do you think they will believe us?" Devola asked skeptically.

Nier shrugged, "As long as you don't push too much too fast, at least some of them will accept the truth. We just need to take it one step at a time."

"Gotta need some proof too," Emil added.

"As long as no one jumps straight into battle, it's easy enough to prove that Gestalts are intelligent," Weiss said. "And we should take full advantage of the situation in the Aerie."

"I think it's a little too early to show this to Replicants," Nier mused. "But we _can_ spread the word around Gestalts and introduce anyone interested to the- fusions? What should we call them- us?"

"They are human," Devola said.

Nier glared at her, "They were human _already_. It shouldn't _matter_ whether their bodies are made of magic or if they were grown in a lab somewhere – all of them are human."

"But we do need to distinguish between these subsets of humanity," Weiss interjected. "Just for the sake of clarity. How about 'Amalgamates'?"

"Kind of a mouthful," Nier replied. "But whatever we decide to call them, these people are a tangible proof that fusion is possible."

"At any rate, we should direct more effort to Replicants," Weiss suggested. "Gestalts have far less to adjust to."

"I think Gestalts will be more accepting of fusion in general," Nier agreed. "After all, those who couldn't stand the thought of becoming something different wouldn't have accepted Gestaltization in the first place."

"There is still a lot of other problems," Emil said. "Like communication."

"Thankfully, translation spell is easy enough to cast," Weiss said. "And it isn't too much trouble to make the other changes at the same time."

"So that they are ready for fusion without even knowing it?" Nier grinned. "Sneaky."

"It will take years, if not decades," Devola said. "And not everyone will agree to this."

"No. But people should have a choice. And frankly? I think most of them will be far too pragmatic to choose death."

Popola covered her face with one hand, "…Thank you. For centuries we thought that there was no other option but… you proved us wrong. _Thank you_."


	68. Tip of the Iceberg

**Chapter 68: Tip of the Iceberg**

The more they worked, the more problems were being revealed, things that no one paid much thought to but were now demanding to be solved.

Nier went to the Junk Heap to tell Angiolina the news as promised but ended up stumped by a simple question: fusion required consent from both sides but how were Gestalts supposed to even _find_ their respective Replicants? Nier himself relied on faint echoes of their bond in the past but very few could use magic well enough for this.

Asking Devola and Popola about this had only pointed to another problem: not everyone even _had_ a Replicant, their previous one dead and the new one not yet made. And while Gestalts didn't age, their Replicants did. Even without the calculations Weiss and Noir made, simple logic pointed out that fusion between an adult and a child wouldn't be equal, one personality subsuming the other one.

Just the simple fact that only Weiss (and now Noir) could cast the spells necessary for fusion and only on one person at a time was a major problem as well. Weiss planned to adjust the Replicantization system so that all new Replicants were ready for fusion from the moment of their creation, but it was a very complex and involved work since the system itself didn't go through the centuries undamaged.

And then the androids dropped another bombshell: there were other inhabited regions out there with different overseers, but they had been out of contact for quite some time. Devola and Popola were currently trying to reestablish the communication lines, since the other overseers had to be made aware of the latest developments, but who knew how things had been going on their end? World Purification Committee, the people in charge of Project Gestalt and Project Replicant were all gone, which more or less left the androids as the highest authority around. Except all of them were made to obey orders rather than make decisions themselves, leading to them flailing around without direction and with too much responsibility on their shoulders (Nier could sympathize: he didn't plan on becoming the lord and master of Gestalts either).

Nier was sure that more problems would surface in the future but he was fairly optimistic nonetheless. The number of attacks by relapsed Gestalts dropped to almost nonexistence while the sane ones were going out of their way to avoid conflict with Replicants. The Replicants too were no longer forming the hunting parties, both sides slowly shedding their 'hit first' tendencies. And, of course, the Aerie was a shining testament to the possibility of peaceful coexistence.

Despite all the troubles, it felt like a dawn of a new era.

* * *

Nier barely needed to look at the ground, the route from the Lost Shrine to Emil's manor becoming far too familiar. He landed on the colorless grass and switched forms. The cursed building grated on his senses though he was slowly getting used to the feeling (Weiss and Emil had plans to un-curse it but they were far too busy dealing with more important things).

Nier frowned inwardly. He didn't like Yonah staying here for this long but he didn't want her to return home either. Not only did he still not trust Devola and Popola enough to let them look after her, but the androids had finally attempted to tell the truth to the Replicants (partial truth at least), choosing his village as their testing ground. Nier hoped it went well but he still didn't want Yonah anywhere close to this.

The old world ruins behind the dimensional barrier were not an option either: they were fine for his battle-hardened team and they were fine for the androids but they were not a good place to live for a little girl.

Nier opened the front door of the manor and entered the building, trying to ignore the effects of its curse.

"Yonah?" he called. "Sebastian? Anyone here?"

He stretched his senses, trying to pinpoint either of them: the manor was big enough that they could easily end up running past each other for hours. Unfortunately, the magic that the entire building was imbued with interfered with his senses and he had to search on foot.

Nier walked down the confusing halls, scowling at the paintings that seemed to change when he wasn't looking. He knocked on the door of Yonah's appointed room, completely unsurprised when it turned out to be empty. Yonah still hadn't sated her curiosity about the manor, so of course she refused to stay in one place.

He wandered the building, lost in his thoughts, until a distant voice broke through the haze. Nier looked around, only now noticing that his feet brought him to the room where his other daughter was frozen asleep. This wasn't surprising either: from the moment Nier hauled her stasis pod all the way to the manor, Yonah gravitated towards her counterpart.

He quietly opened the door and saw Yonah reading aloud from a book, "-She fell down upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep. And this sleep extended over the whole palace; the King and Queen who had just come home, and- Oh, hi, dad!"

"Reading fairy-tales?" Nier asked as Yonah ran towards him and gave him a quick hug.

"Uh-huh. Sebastian gave me a lot of books to read but I thought she'd like to hear them too. And I like this one: the princess falls asleep for years and years but then she wakes up and lives happily ever after. …When are you gonna wake her up, dad?"

Nier sighed and looked first at one Yonah then the other. They looked nothing alike but he loved them and feared for them all the same.

"Weiss is still crunching numbers, trying to figure out the safest possible route."

Yonah looked sadly at her Gestalt, "…It's just not fair to keep her frozen."

Nier ruffled her hair, "We just want to make sure that you won't get hurt. Either of you. So just wait a little more, alright? And don't worry: everything will be fine."


	69. Fade to Black

**Chapter 69: Fade to Black**

Eventually, Nier and Yonah relocated to the roof where the hostile magic was much weaker. Nier sprawled down and switched forms, spreading his wings to catch more sunlight. It still sometimes caught him off-guard that he no longer needed to avoid the sun.

Yonah giggled slightly and lied down on his wing, "Awww… No clouds to watch!"

Nier curled the edge slightly, drawing her closer, "No, but it's still a nice day. I just wish that night still existed."

"What was it like?" Yonah asked. "The night?"

"Dark and cold but I miss the stars."

Yonah shuffled around, worming closer and resting her head on his shoulder, "Did she ever see the stars? The other me?"

"…She did. She liked the stars."

"Then I guess I'll like them too when I remember them. That's how this works, right?"

Nier nodded silently. It took Yonah a bit of time to get used to his new existence but she didn't even hesitate after realizing that he wanted her to fuse as well.

"What's it gonna feel like?" Yonah asked.

"Which part?" Nier asked. "Possession is quite a rush, though I don't remember much of it. The mental part is like a dream, both real and not. The aftermath is… kinda awful with constant headaches but after your memories settle, you will feel much better. It's like you will suddenly remember a whole bunch of new memories but you will still feel like yourself. And you will never have to worry about Black Scrawl again."

* * *

Nier frowned, "Are you _sure_ that's the best option?"

"We have run the numbers," Weiss replied. "Yonah is extremely close to relapsing, so even if we keep feeding her stable maso, she might not be coherent enough to understand what we want from her. Possession will give her more time but with the mental bond already in place the fusion might start even without the proper energy input. And I cannot safely unravel it: it is too deeply integrated. The safest way is to forge the rest of connections and start the process. Let them both figure things out in the mental construct."

"Then let's do this!" Yonah cheered.

Nier swallowed thickly, not sharing her enthusiasm, "…And if she doesn't agree to fuse?"

"She'll agree, I know she will" Yonah protested. "She is me, right?"

"If she doesn't agree, you will merely end up possessed," Weiss told her. "Just let her take over and wait until we explain everything to her. Then you can try to fuse again."

"See, dad? Weissey says it's fine!"

Nier sighed, "If you say so…"

He still couldn't help but worry.

* * *

Nier glowered at the black Grimoire, "If you do anything, _anything at all_ to hurt them…!"

Noir rustled his pages, "I won't. I know you don't trust me but can you at least believe that I am a rational being? I have no reason to harm them."

"I know you're worried, but don't take it out on Noir," Weiss chastised. "For all the trouble he caused, the current situation is hardly his fault."

" _Sure_ ," Nier hissed. "So it wasn't _him_ who turned Yonah into a Gestalt?!"

"Actually, no," Noir said. "Unless you want to get extremely technical. My copies were used for Gestaltization but I had no control over them or even enough awareness to understand what was happening."

Nier squinted at him suspiciously and turned to Weiss, "Is it true?"

Weiss tilted his upper edge slightly, "It is. The copying process was rather… brutal. I'm surprised Noir survived it with his sanity intact."

"I doubt anyone would've cared if I didn't, as long as I could still perform my functions," the black Grimoire replied.

"I feel like I'm going to regret asking this," Nier muttered. "What happened to you?"

"The templates, those book-like vessels can only become Grimoires if a human soul is embedded in them, whether living or dead," Noir began. "But finding the ones compatible is a long and complicated process. Too many copies were needed and fast, so they ripped out my pages, fracturing my magic into hundreds of pieces and forcing it into hundreds of vessels. My mind and soul could barely handle the fragmentation, starting to destabilize with not enough magic to sustain them. In some way, you were my savior: after you withstood Gestaltization, my copies were no longer needed. More useful as a singular entity, I was put back together."

"…The more I learn the worse it gets," Nier sighed.

"It's all ancient history now," the black Grimoire said dismissively. "Nor does it negate my own actions. But at the very least I can promise that I will do everything in my power to help your daughter."

* * *

"Are you still sure you want to do this?" Nier asked.

Yonah smiled at him, "I am!"

Nier wrapped one arm around her shoulders, "Then let's get started."

With the mental link already in place, it didn't take much time to forge the rest of connections. Nier kept Yonah close throughout, feeling much more nervous than she was.

"And… done!" Weiss announced before taking out a vial of maso. "Now drink this."

Yonah wrinkled her nose, having tasted the dark liquid before, "Do I have to? It tastes like rusty door nails!"

"…How do you know what door nails taste like?" Emil wondered. The boy was there more for moral support than anything else, much like Nier himself.

"Yes, you must drink it," Nier said. "If you don't, this won't work."

Technically, the previous dose should've been enough but with the other Yonah so close to relapsing it was better to err on the side of caution.

Yonah scrunched up her nose, squeezed her eyes shut, and gulped down the liquid, shuddering in disgust, "Gross!"

"Only one thing left to do now," Weiss said. He flipped his cover open and formed a crimson hand, pressing the buttons on the stasis pod to start the defrosting sequence.

Nier shivered, his grip on Yonah's shoulders tightening until she winced and tried to shrug him off, "Dad!"

He quickly released her, "…Sorry."

Yonah leaned back against him, "It's gonna be fine, dad. Don't worry."

Nier hoped she was right.

"Defrosting complete," Weiss announced and the glass slid open, revealing the blurry black and gold form of the still unresponsive Gestalt.

"Take her hand," Noir said. "It will make this easier."

Yonah did as such, "I'm ready!"

"We will all be here when you wake up," Nier said, earning a brilliant smile in response.

Noir glowed impossibly black and the other Yonah dissolved into wisps of darkness, sinking beneath her Replicant's skin.

She gasped and swayed on her feet, Nier catching her before she hit the floor.

He cradled his unconscious daughter in his arms, hoping against hope that nothing went wrong.


	70. Ashes of Dreams

**Chapter 70: Ashes of Dreams**

Yonah huddled in the dark corner behind the broken shelves. Where was her dad? She waited and waited and waited…

She was so cold.

Yonah shivered, watching the snow fall without end. Her dad would come back… She just had to wait a little longer…

"…Hello?"

She gasped and looked up at the sudden voice. There was a girl about her age standing before her.

"Hello… Aren't you cold?" Yonah asked. The other girl was wearing only a light dress.

The girl shook her head and smiled, "I feel fine!" She walked closer, "I'm Yonah!"

"Really?" Yonah asked. "That's my name too…"

The girl, the other Yonah kinda looked like her too…

"What are you doing here?" the other Yonah asked.

"Waiting for my dad. …And you? Are you alone here?"

The other Yonah giggled, "Of course I'm not alone! You're here too!"

That wasn't what she meant.

"Come on, let's go somewhere warmer," the other Yonah said.

Yonah shook her head, "No, I have to wait here for my dad."

"It's not far. Just around this corner."

That didn't sound so bad…

Yonah stood up and let the girl lead her around the shelf, entering a house.

"…Huh?" Yonah blinked in confusion and turned around. The shelves and the snow were still there but the cracked stone under her feet gave way to the wooden floor. There was a stove with fire burning merrily inside and a table with two cups of tea standing on it.

She didn't feel cold anymore… Oh. This was probably a dream.

Yonah didn't resist when the girl led her to the table and helped her remove her heavy coat.

"Here, drink some tea!" the girl offered, sliding one of the cups closer. "I made it myself!"

She did just that, feeling warmth spread through her body. "Is this your home?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," the other girl nodded. "But it can be your home too."

Yonah glanced back but the snow-filled shelves were still there. Weren't they supposed to disappear if this was a dream?

"You don't have to go back," the other Yonah said. "I mean… You can, if you want to, but I'd really like it if you stayed here."

Yonah frowned, "I need to wait for my dad. He's going to really worry if I'm not there."

But if this was a dream… wouldn't she just wake up?

"Or you can go find him instead!" the other Yonah suggested. "I can show you where to go!"

"Really? …How do you know this?"

The girl giggled, "Because I'm you, of course! I know where your dad is because he's my dad too!"

Yonah nodded. That made sense.

She finished her tea and stood up, reaching for her coat. The other Yonah grabbed her hand instead, "You don't need it here. Come on!"

The girl opened the door and tugged her outside into a warm summer day. Yonah looked around in wonder. Everything was so green and full of sunlight…

"Do you like it?" the other girl asked and Yonah nodded. Of course she did. It had been so long since she last saw the sun…

"Of course you do!" the other Yonah said, as if reading her thoughts. "I'm you and I love it here! Let's go!"

The other girl ran forward, tugging her along, and Yonah followed. She wasn't at all surprised to see that she was wearing the same dress as the other Yonah.

"Here!" the other Yonah said, stopping on a small cliff overlooking a river. She lied down under the tree growing there and Yonah followed her example. The grass was soft under her back and the leaves danced in the breeze above her.

"This is my favorite place," the other Yonah said. "Sometimes my dad and I just lie here and watch the clouds."

"That sounds nice," Yonah replied. She wished she had some memories like this…

"Don't worry!" the other girl said. "I'm you, so you'll remember it too!"

"…I don't have anything good to share," Yonah said. "Only cold and monsters."

The other girl sat up and frowned at her, "That's not true! You were with your dad, and you love him and he loves you, so there had to be something good!"

Yonah smiled slightly and nodded, "You are right. It wasn't all bad…"

"See? We'll have a lot of good memories! And then we'll make even more of them together!"

Yonah reached up and pulled the other girl into a hug, "I'd love this…"

The other girl giggled and hugged her back.

"So… how do I find my dad?" Yonah asked.

The other Yonah leaned back slightly and smiled, "It's easy! You just have to wake up."

* * *

Yonah flinched, crying softly in pain. Her head felt like it was going to split open, her memories shattering into thousands of pieces. There was so much inside her mind: rain of salt and endless daylight, black books and black words, hordes of monsters she had to hide from, gnawing pains of hunger and even more painful loneliness…

She could faintly feel someone holding her.

"Yonah? It's going to be fine, I promise."

"…Dad?" she whispered, reaching for an anchor in this endless storm.

Her memories swirled, their edges sharp and painful. Two lives clashed inside her head, breaking into glimmering shards of infinite mirrors.

"I'm here, Yonah, you just have to hold on. It hurts, I know, but you will get through this."

Her dad was there… Broken memories danced before her eyes, shattered pieces of the two lives she lived: cold and monsters and illness that couldn't be cured…

But as long as her dad was there, everything was going to be fine.

The shards stilled, the pain fading, and Yonah opened her eyes.

"Hi…" she whispered.

Her dad hugged her and she hugged him back, feeling the shards of her memories settle.

She loved him and he loved her, and that was all that mattered.


	71. New Reality

**Chapter 71: New Reality**

"I feel so weird," Yonah muttered. She shook her head, feeling slightly dizzy, " _So weird_. It's like my head is full of soup. Really bad soup."

"It's going to be like that for a while," her dad said. "But at least the two of you haven't met before: remembering the same event from two different perspectives is a trip and a half. It felt like I was stuck in a room full of mirrors."

Yonah nodded and winced, her head starting to hurt again, "How long was I asleep?"

"Just a couple of hours," her dad replied. "You should rest a bit more."

That sounded like a good idea…

Yonah fell asleep almost before she could finish the thought.

* * *

Yonah bounced on her feet slightly. Going to sleep was a really good idea because right now she felt great!

"Feeling better?" her dad smiled.

Yonah smiled back and nodded, "I feel awesome!" Her stomach growled slightly, "…And hungry."

Her dad hugged her and raised her up, so she could sit on his shoulder, "Come on then: I know for a fact that Emil and Sebastian are making dinner, with Weiss bossing them around. Hmmm… Does Weiss make a good cookbook? What do you think?"

Yonah giggled, ducking under the door frame, "Weissey is the best! …Wrong way, dad!"

He paused and looked around the corridor, "This place is confusing. Which way to the kitchen?"

Yonah pointed at one of the doors, "There! Don't worry, dad! I know where everything is, so you won't get lost with me around!"

He smiled, "Show the way then."

Yonah did just that, pointing where to go.

"Ah, I think I know where to go next by the smell alone," her dad said.

Yonah sniffed the air and nodded, "Smells nice!"

The moment they entered the kitchen, Emil ran towards them.

"You're awake!" Emil cheered, changing forms and floating up to give Yonah a hug. "How do you feel? Did both of you agree to fuse? …I mean, of course you did, you're not possessed right now and-"

"Calm down, Emil!" her dad laughed.

"I'm fine!" Yonah said. "It was really easy too! Oh! Does this mean I can change forms too?"

"I don't see why not," her dad replied. "Everyone else can."

Yonah clapped her hands in delight and nearly fell down in her excitement, "How do I do this?!"

Her dad lowered her to the floor, "Let's get you some food first, then we can play around with magic."

* * *

Yonah scrunched up her nose, trying to grab her magic like her dad told her. It felt kinda warm and a bit fuzzy but also really slippery.

"You are trying too hard," Weiss said. "Magic is a part of you now, you have no need to struggle such."

"Don't try to do anything with it at first," her dad said. "Just try to relax and feel its warmth. Get used to the feeling."

Yonah nodded. She closed her eyes and tried to stay still, concentrating on the warm feeling inside her.

"I think I got it," she mumbled.

"Now try to make this feeling stronger," her dad said next. "Let it grow and spread all over your body."

Yonah could feel her magic buzz under her skin, getting warmer and warmer. It felt nice, like stretching after a long sleep.

"Hold this feeling. Remember it… Now open your eyes."

She did as told and gasped in delight, seeing her skin colored black and gold, "It works!"

Her dad smiled at her, "You did very well."

"Congratulations!" Emil cheered.

Yonah immediately hugged him but her right arm snagged on something, "Huh?" She carefully untangled her arm and squinted in confusion at something that looked like either a fin or a really wide sleeve, "What's that?" She stretched her left arm, waving it in the air, "Here too…"

"I know!" Emil said. "I think it's something like wings! I've seen them on some flying Gestalts!"

Yonah gasped, "Wings? I can fly?!"

"Maybe," her dad said. "Even if these _are_ wings, they will need to grow longer first."

" _I can maybe fly!_ "

* * *

Her dad stayed in the manor for a few days after that, but Weiss and Emil went back to the Lost Shrine. They still had a lot of work to do.

And they had to help Kainé.

"Dad… Will Kainé get better?" Yonah asked. Weiss said she had Black Scrawl too but she didn't have other-Kainé to fuse with, so she had to be put in cold sleep.

"She will," her dad said. "Do you want to go see her?"

Yonah perked up, "Can I?"

Her dad nodded, "Sure. As long as you promise to stay either with me or Weiss and Emil at all times."

"Okay!"

Her dad smiled and picked her up, "Let's go."

He changed forms and flew outside through the open windows. Yonah couldn't wait until she was able to fly too!

The flight was far too short and soon they landed on the broken roof of a huge building.

"Is this the Lost Shrine?" Yonah asked.

"It is," her dad nodded, putting her down and taking her hand in his.

They went through the huge doors and into a hall that didn't have a lot of floor left.

"Stay away from the edges," her dad warned, leading her towards the gates at the other end of the hall.

He took the gold thing hanging from a thin chain around his neck and raised it slightly, "See this? It's a magic key that will let us pass through. I'll get you your own key later."

Yonah nodded in understanding and together they went through the gates.

* * *

"This place makes me feel weird…" Yonah muttered. She was getting better over the last days, with almost no headaches, but these old ruins made it feel like her memories were splitting into pieces.

"Memories?" her dad asked. "Sorry, can't really help with this."

"It's not that bad," Yonah replied. "Just weird."

Her dad led her further into the old building, sometimes walking, sometimes flying. It really was a huge place but eventually they reached their destination.

Yonah looked sadly at Kainé's figure frozen behind the glass, "You're gonna be okay, Kainé. You're gonna wake up and get better and come to live with us."

"Unfortunately, that is easier said than done."

Yonah turned around and blinked, "Oh, hi…"

For how long were Weiss and Emil standing there?

Emil raised his hand slightly, "Hello." He looked at Kainé, "We can actually wake her up safely. Uh… sorta-safely. But she can't stay awake for long. We gotta find a way to help her first."

"Still no solution?" her dad asked.

Weiss and Emil looked at each other, "Well… We might have the beginnings of an idea."


	72. Dreams of Salvation

**Chapter 72: Dreams of Salvation**

The sound of rain filled the village. Thin wisps of smoke streamed from the huts as the villagers huddled in their homes and waited out the rain.

A single child, however, had braved the downpour, and was now wandering slowly towards the wooden, hawk-shaped weather vane at the center of town.

The wanderer reached the vane, which had existed for as long as any could remember, and stared.

'If the beak turns east, I go home,' the child thought. 'If it stays west, then I-'

The air shimmered, solidifying into a translucent shield, blocking the cold rain.

"What are you doing out here in this weather?" a young voice asked, sounding concerned. "You'll catch a cold like this!"

The child turned around and looked at the boy standing behind her. He was dressed like a noble, aside from a tattered cloak hanging from his shoulders. He had a staff in one hand, longer than he was tall, and the hand holding it was white and skeletal.

He smiled at her, half of his face bright and lively, the other a white unchanging mask, and offered her a hand, "Let's go home."

* * *

Kainé had never chopped wood before in her life, and soon discovered why her grandmother hated the chore. Swing after swing of the axe produced only a tiny crack in the wood, and when she finally managed to connect with a solid stroke, the tool embedded itself in the log and refused to budge. Frustrated, Kainé swung the axe around her head and threw it, log and all, across the yard.

"Dammit! Dammit! Uh… crap!"

"Aren't you a little too young to swear?" a snotty voice drawled.

Magic and darkness swirled into the shape of two clawed hands that picked her axe and separated it from the log. A white page slashed at the piece of wood, splitting it cleanly in half.

Kainé crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at the silver-covered book floating before her.

"I am surrounded by bone-headed barbarians with disgusting habits," the white book lamented, using one of the crimson hands to ruffle her hair hard enough to almost knock her over.

Kainé slapped the hand away but couldn't quite suppress her grin.

* * *

Kainé made her way down the road. She moved at a brisk pace, watching out for monsters (whatever shape they might take), and finally found herself at the entrance to the village.

The few people she could see glanced sideways at her, then muttered to each other behind raised hands before slinking away into the shadows.

Her heart racing, Kainé took a series of rapid, shallow breaths and tried to calm herself.

'I have to prove myself,' she thought. 'I have to help grandma. I… I have to be strong.'

She chanted those words to herself over and over as she slowly made her way.

"Ah… Hello?" a voice sounded behind her and Kainé swirled around, her gaze falling on a tall, white-haired man who had a look of a warrior about him. "You wouldn't know if there's an apothecary somewhere? My daughter needs some medicine."

The little girl holding his hand smiled brightly and waved at Kainé.

She opened her mouth to answer then nearly flinched when she heard an older woman tell anyone who would listen what exactly she thought of Kainé's presence.

The man frowned, his blue eyes darkening. The old woman choked mid-word, noticing his angry gaze, and quickly slinked away, the other villagers dissipating like smoke in the wind.

The little girl wrinkled her nose, "Dad says I can't swear until I'm older, but nasty people like that deserve only bad words!"

Kainé laughed in startled relief, "Hit a nail on the head here… Actually, I'm looking for an apothecary myself."

The girl gave her another bright smile and grabbed her hand, "Then let's search together!"

* * *

Her house was ablaze, the flames licking up as if trying to touch the sky itself.

Kainé ran then, leaping down the hill in ground-eating jumps. Her mind raced in time with her footfalls, 'It's too dark. It's too dark. Not just fire. Can't be fire. Too much smoke.'

She burst into the front yard and came to a sudden halt, her worst suspicions confirmed. The smoke from the fire was mingling with the thick inky blackness of a giant reptilian monster. Golden tendrils twisted together to form three massive feet and large armored tail.

Seeing Kainé, it let out a roar that made the mountain hills shake. For a moment the creature retreated into a shimmering inky blackness before its tendrils tore through the ground under her feet.

Kainé choked on her scream when one of the tendrils pierced through her stomach, another tearing into her left arm. The tendrils retreated and she stumbled, staring numbly at the bleeding stump of her arm.

The monster laughed at her, its giant mouth turning up at the corners, "Ready to die, Sunshine?"

"Fucking… Bastard…" Kainé rasped. She swayed on her feet and gripped her sword tighter in her remaining arm. "I'm gonna carve you to fucking pieces!"

She jumped, landing on the monster's thick neck and plunging her sword deep into its remaining eye. It roared and flailed, batting her away with its massive tail. The tail stuck her square in the chest and she crashed on the ground, feeling her ribs snap.

The monster stumbled, its tendrils searching blindly around. It finally found purchase on the sheer face of the cliff and slowly lumbered upwards.

No… Kainé dragged herself to her feet, stumbling towards the monster. She had to stop it… How many people would it kill next if she let it escape?

She gritted her teeth, gathering the last shreds of her strength, and jumped, scaling the monster's back. She dug her feet into its shoulders and slashed at its neck, severing its head. The monster shuddered, its body slackening and starting to dissolve, and together they fell down.

The impact stole her remaining breath but still Kainé smiled, looking into the clouded sky high above. She had won.

Kainé closed her eyes. She could rest now…

"Kainé…" a voice whispered, the rumbling distortion in it achingly familiar.

She opened her eyes and looked into the shimmering darkness. It dripped from the sky, creeping over her skin in ink-black patterns. It crawled over her body, soothing her wounds with warm touch.

Kainé reached with her remaining hand to touch the shimmering black and the darkness rushed upwards, coalescing above her into translucent, not-quite-there body. Dark wings opened widely, blocking the sky, then folded around her, their touch soft and familiar. The world was getting darker until she could see nothing but the glowing yellow eyes above her.

"Wake up, Kainé. We are waiting for you."

Her world was fading but still she reached through the darkness into the light beyond.

* * *

 _A/N: Guess which part of this game I hate the most. Freaking guess._


	73. Warm Welcome

**Chapter 73:** **Warm Welcome**

Somebody was calling her through the darkness. Different voices, all of them familiar.

"…Kainé? Please, wake up!"

She groaned weakly, finally discerning one of them, "…Emil?"

"Kainé!"

She struggled to open her eyes, distantly feeling someone grasp her hand, "Don't try to move right now."

Kainé managed to blink her eyes open, "Nier?"

He smiled and squeezed her hand slightly, "Good morning."

"It's the middle of the day," Weiss said from his place above his shoulder.

"Who gives a fuck?" Kainé muttered.

Yonah waved her hand, "Welcome back!"

"Hey, kid… You're here too? …And where the hell is 'here'?"

"Same place," Weiss said. "We are within the dimensional barrier, beneath the ruins."

"How long has it been?"

"Just a few weeks," Emil said. "Don't worry, we'll tell you everything that happened!"

"But this can wait. Loathe as I am to interrupt this lovely reunion, we are on a tight schedule here," somebody said.

Kainé managed to turn her head in the speaker's direction, "Fuck, you're alive?!"

"While you would no doubt prefer the opposite," Grimoire Noir said. "I am indeed still alive."

Kainé growled under her breath, "Why the fuck is this asshole here?"

"Feelings aside, his help was essential," Weiss said. "After all, it is one of Project Noir protocols that is currently keeping Tyrann subdued."

"Then why the fuck did you unfreeze me if he's still inside me?!"

"Not for the pleasure of dealing with your charming personality, I assure you," Weiss grumbled.

…Well, if Weiss was being his usual asshole self, then she was probably _not_ on her death bed. Reassuring.

"Getting rid of him was never an issue," the Grimoire continued. "But we needed to figure out a way to keep you alive in the aftermath."

"We did find a solution to your admittedly unique problem," Noir added. "But it is rather risky and we couldn't really test it either. As far as we know, you are one of a kind."

"Of-fucking-course I am," Kainé grumbled. "You want my permission? You have it. I'm used to dangerous shit."

"Your cooperation will make things easier," Weiss said. "But we couldn't operate on someone in stasis in the first place."

"Operate," Kainé said flatly. "The fuck you gonna do to me?"

"To put it simply, we are going to tear apart Tyrann's magical matrix and meld its pieces to yours. Then we'll invert another Project Noir protocol and destroy his soul."

"Sounds disgusting," Kainé muttered. "What's the problem then?"

"Melding two halves of the same magical matrix is easy enough," Weiss said. "I have done it more than once. But joining different ones? It might fall apart completely."

"…You lost me on the 'more than once' part."

"That's what the whole fusion thing was about," Nier said. "And it works on other Gestalts and Replicants too."

"…The Aerie?" Kainé asked.

He nodded, "It really _is_ the cure we were searching for. There's still a lot of issues left to deal with but it's a start."

"I did it too!" Yonah piped up. She rolled up her sleeves, "See? No Black Scrawl!"

"Really? Uh… Congrats, I guess." So much had happened while she was asleep… She wanted to know everything. "How much time do we have?" Kainé asked.

"I can't say for sure but the protocols are still holding," Weiss replied. "Tyrann will not be able to take over."

"And this will keep him from relapsing," Nier added, pointing at the transparent bag filled with some sort of dark liquid.

Kainé traced the thin tube coming from the bag with her gaze to where it connected to-

"What the fuck?!" she yelled, staring at the needle embedded in her left arm.

Nier pressed her arm down, restraining her movements before she ripped the thing out.

"What is this shit?" Kainé hissed.

"It's called an IV drip," Nier said. "It was commonly used for medicine in the old world. And the liquid is diluted maso. You already have it in your blood."

"The ancients were fucking freaks to create this thing," Kainé muttered. She couldn't even feel the needle and she had shrugged off far worse injuries than this but there was still something about it that made her skin crawl.

"You don't have to like it but you do need it," Weiss said. "Don't worry, you won't have to suffer for long."

Kainé nodded. One way or another, this would be over soon.

"Now tell me what the hell happened while I wasn't around?" she asked. "I bet you got into some wild shit."

Nier laughed slightly, "Not as wild as you'd think. But here's what happened…"

Kainé listened to him talk, trying to catch up on everything she missed, their friends interrupting to add something or other. It was strange to realize that all their struggles were finally over. Sure, the world at large still sucked and she doubted it would get much better in her lifetime but someday… Someday it would.

That was more than enough for her.

But good as it was to simply enjoy the company of her friends, time waited for no one.

They had to get rid of Tyrann once and for all.

Weiss had swapped the bag from her IV drip for another one, the liquid inside it darker. Higher concentration, as he explained.

This time Kainé could feel it. The liquid _burned_ , flowing into her veins, but the energy spreading through her body felt so damn good…

"You will need this energy," Weiss said. "Magical matrix is not an easy thing to fix."

"What should I do?" Kainé asked.

"Nothing," he replied. "While I do not know what this will be like from your side, we will do all the work. Nor should Tyrann be able to interfere."

Kainé nodded her understanding, "Then let's get this over with."

She wasn't going to say goodbye. After all, she didn't intend to die.

Weiss seemed to understand what she didn't say. He glowed white, brighter and brighter, until his light swallowed her entire world.


	74. The Future's Looking Bright

**Chapter 74:** **The Future's Looking Bright**

Tyrann looked just like her. The possessed her, covered head to toe in black and gold.

"What can I say?" he shrugged. "I grew to like this body."

There was nothing and no one else in this world, only endless white light.

Kainé narrowed her eyes, "Why the hell are you here?"

He snarled, "What, did you really expect me to just lie down and let your friends tear me into pieces? If I'm gonna die, I'm taking you with me!"

"In your fucking dreams, asshole!" Kainé growled, raising her swords. "You're the only one who will die today!"

Tyrann only laughed at her and lunged into battle.

Kainé fought back with all her strength but he was stronger, faster, and he knew her every move. She struggled to block his strikes and every time she managed to get a hit in, his wounds closed in seconds.

Her movements were slowing down, exhaustion settling in her bones. She was so tired of fighting but she had to win this.

…Hadn't she?

This world… Was it even real or just a waking dream? She didn't know.

What should she do?!

 _"Nothing,"_ echoed in her mind. _"We will do all the work."_

…And that was the answer, wasn't it?

She didn't quite dodge the next attack, the serrated edge of Tyrann's sword grazing her ribs, but there was no pain. No blood, no injury… Because this world wasn't real.

Kainé lowered her swords.

"What's the matter, Sunshine?" Tyrann laughed. "Finally realizing that you can't win this fight?"

"I can't," Kainé agreed. "But I can't lose either."

"Fight me, dammit!" Tyrann snarled, lunging at her again, but Kainé didn't even try to block his strike. His swords passed harmlessly through her body.

"No. Because that's what you want, isn't it? If we continue this fight, even all that stable maso in my blood won't be enough to keep you from relapsing."

Tyrann made a noise like a wounded animal, his form flickering. He stumbled, his swords falling down.

"You can't kill me," Kainé said. "You can't take over. You can only try to drive yourself to relapsing, to the point of no return, and drag me down with you before Weiss and Noir rip you apart." Kainé let her own swords slip from her hands, "So I won't fight you." She smiled slightly, "I don't need to. I don't need to do anything. I just have to trust my friend."

Tyrann was fading, dissolving into nothingness. He fell to his knees, unable to stand anymore, "So this is it, huh? I guess you won, Sunshine."

Kainé looked at his transparent form and couldn't find the old hatred within her. She was tired of hating, tired of killing…

"I don't hate you," she said. "You made my life hell but I wouldn't have survived without you. I wouldn't have met my friends if not for you. So thank you."

Tyrann laughed weakly, "Ah, what the hell… Your heart is far too soft for me now…"

She might have imagined his last whisper before he dissolved completely and this world faded out of existence, "Goodbye, Sunshine, and good luck."

* * *

Kainé opened her eyes to the sight of her friends hovering above her, "Hey… Don't tell me you were worried."

"But we were!" Yonah cried.

"It's good to have you back, Kainé," Nier smiled.

"Wasn't that long," she scoffed.

He only shrugged, "Felt like eternity."

Kainé groaned, "Shut up, I can't deal with this sappy shit first thing in the morning."

"Once again: it's the middle of the day," Weiss said.

Kainé huffed, "Once again: who gives a fuck?"

She shuffled slightly, feeling too weak to move much. Emil helped her sit up, carefully holding her left arm in place.

Kainé grimaced at the needle still stuck under her skin, "Ugh… Get this shit away from me."

"Unfortunately, you still need it," Weiss said. "This entire operation was a major drain on your energy reserves and even now your matrix is in a terrible state."

"It looks like it's held together by staples and duct tape," Noir added.

Kainé completely forgot he was there too but she didn't have the strength to glare at him. "I have no idea what either of those is," she mumbled instead.

Weiss turned to him, "I highly doubt your own matrix looked much better after your copies were recombined." He turned back to Kainé, "With enough time and energy, all the damage will heal."

"If you say so…" she muttered. She felt so damn tired…

"You should rest, Kainé," Nier said. "You deserve it."

Damn straight, she did.

* * *

Once she woke up, Kainé felt good enough to stand up and shuffle around. Weiss still fretted but Kainé put her foot down. She refused to stay bedridden for however long her matrix had to heal. He finally relented, even removing the IV drip, as long as she drank maso at regular intervals.

Weiss forbade her from using any magic but Kainé wasn't going to argue against that. She still felt like hell and even walking felt like a monster of a task. He warned her against trying to get through the dimensional barrier too, fearing its magic might affect her, so for now she was stuck in the old world ruins. She still refused to stay underground, moving to the garden on the upper level instead.

Someone was always around: Weiss, Emil, Nier... Even Yonah from time to time. She didn't have much to do, days blurring together, until Weiss finally deemed her healthy enough to cross the barrier.

All her friends, her _family_ were gathered there, smiling and happy for her, when Weiss gave her the dimensional key.

"Finally!" Kainé grinned, hanging it around her neck. "I'm sick of this place."

"You can finally go home with us!" Yonah cried happily.

Nier looked at Kainé warily, "You _will_ be staying with us, right?"

She only laughed, "Don't be a fucking idiot! Where else would I rather be?"

He smiled and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, dragging Emil and Yonah closer too. Kainé looped her arm around Weiss and together they walked through the barrier and into a brighter future.

* * *

 _A/N:_ _We're almost done here, folks! There's only the epilogue left. I can't believe it's almost over…_


	75. Epilogue: Five Years Later

**Epilogue: Five Years Later**

Nier grinned and ruefully shook his head as he watched Kainé and Weiss fight over a ladle in their tiny kitchen. True, the house was bigger now, thanks to Weiss trying his hand at transformation magic (the Case of the Vanishing Roof that Kainé swore was intentional but Weiss insisted wasn't, was not to be mentioned), yet after all the changes the kitchen still somehow remained the same.

He caught the cooking utensil before it could hit him in the face, "Why is it that I'm in more danger in my own home than in any of the ancient dungeons we fought through?"

"Your own damn fault for inviting us to live with you!" Kainé snapped. "Give me that back."

Nier immediately stepped back, holding the ladle out of her reach, "Nope."

"Hey! I need it!"

"To hit me with, not to cook," Weiss scowled, crossing his arms. "This is merely a sign of your subpar intelligence, thinking that something like this could ever harm the being of my power."

Kainé grinned and jumped, swiping the ladle out of Nier's hands, "Nope. This is purely for my enjoyment."

And just to prove it, she hit Weiss over the head with it.

He scowled even more, showing his silver fangs, "I am the most underappreciated being in this household."

Nier wrapped one arm around his shoulders, feeling the sharp angles of his wire-and-paper body, "You know we love you."

It took some convincing before Weiss agreed to try using Grimoire Zlato's transformative powers on himself. He still spent most of his time in book form, claiming it was more comfortable, but he seemed to enjoy this pseudo-human shape as well. At least it made other people take him more seriously (if also mildly terrified).

With his silver cover transformed into wire-thin skeleton that his pages were haphazardly wrapped around, the Grimoire looked more like a nightmare scarecrow than anything human. He wore magic constructs resembling layers of translucent crimson cloth, wrapping them around himself like a hooded cloak to hide his features and avoid causing wide-scale panic.

Of course, his family couldn't care less what he looked like.

"We do!" Yonah yelled, flying down the stairs. "We do love you!" She looked at the stove, "What are you cooking, Kainé?"

"Weiss, if he doesn't shut up."

Nier looked at his daughter sternly, "Yonah! What did I tell you about flying indoors?"

Yonah quickly folded her still-short wings and hid her arms behind her back, switching to Replicant form, "Not to?"

"Not to," Nier confirmed. "So why are flying? Again?"

Yonah let out a protesting noise, crossing her arms, "But Emil flies in the house too!"

"Emil has much more experience than you," Nier replied.

"I totally do!" Emil yelled, rushing through the doors and waving a piece of paper around. "What are you talking about?"

"Is this a letter?" Weiss asked.

"Yep! It's from the king of Facade!"

"Huh. I thought post offices were against the rules," Kainé said. "What does he want?"

"We're invited to the wedding! Fyra and the king are getting married!" Emil happily replied.

Nier frowned, studying the letter himself, "Aren't they both a little too young for marriage? As in, _really young_?"

Weiss shrugged, looking over his shoulder, "It seems to be more political than anything, but you cannot deny that they love each other. Oh, would you look at that…" the Grimoire pointed at one particular sentence with a silver-tipped finger, "They have invited the wolves, intending to sign a treaty after the wedding… I do not foresee this going well."

Nier elbowed him lightly, "Don't be so pessimistic, Weiss. The truce has been holding for five years, so it's about time they did something to make it official."

"And besides," Kainé added. "We'll be there to bust the knees of anyone who tries to do anything stupid."

Nier laughed. In truth, that was exactly what they had been doing over the last five years. With the truth about Replicants being slowly revealed to them and news about fusion spreading amongst Gestalts, things were by no means _calm_. As a result, Nier and his teammates often had to keep things from escalating, having the power to stop anyone who tried to get violent.

To his chagrin, it made the cult of the Shadowlord grow only stronger, if less fanatical. Nier heard more than once that plenty of people wanted _him_ to be their leader but his decision was always a resolute 'no'. He wouldn't have known how to rule even if he wanted to. The most he was willing to do was to sit in on any negotiations, making sure that people were communicating and trying to compromise rather than attempting to start another war.

As time went by, things slowly calmed down. Few Replicants took the truth of their existence well and plenty of Gestalts refused to alter their self, but humanity had always been adaptable. The survivors of the Aerie might have been the first to choose fusion but they were by no means the last. Devola and Popola helped as much as they could, working hard to make up for their mistakes, and Nier found his anger at them slowly fading, some degree of trust rebuilding itself.

Establishing communication lines with the other regions showed that they had plenty of their own problems. In some people new the truth already, many willingly choosing possession to stall the onset of relapsing and Black Scrawl. Yet in others the war between Gestalts and Replicants escalated to such levels that there were barely any survivors left. Most though were the same: precarious but not yet past the point of no return. The other androids were overjoyed to finally have a solution, no matter how much work there was still to be done.

It wasn't perfect, not by any means. The world had suffered greatly, but despite everything, humanity had survived and could finally start healing. Life went on and even in this imperfect world there was a place for happiness.

* * *

 _A/N: I started writing this fic last year, in the first days of December. A month later I thought I had finished it. At 42 chapters and 40k+ words it was the longest thing I've ever written. But as I began posting, I didn't just make minor edits – I added entire chapters (often cursing the exhausting schedule I chose for myself). And now, at 75 chapters and 80k+ words it's finally truly done. I never thought I'll ever write a novel-length story, especially in such a short time, yet here we are._

 _Thank you to everyone who read this fic, who faved and followed and left so many lovely reviews! You made all this work absolutely worth it!_


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